Ice and Turbulence, Then Mayday: Jet Crashes Near Greenacres

Nine people died Sunday, November 1, 2026, when a Learjet 60 business jet nose-dived into a neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the fatalities, describing the incident as a horrific tragedy. The Federal Aviation Administration stated the jet crashed at approximately 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said it came down near Military Trail, and officials placed the crash in the city of Greenacres.

The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. It carried nine people, according to preliminary FAA data. Officials have not yet released the names of the victims or identified how many were crew members versus passengers. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for the Austin airport, noted that the jet was private and that he could not confirm the specific individuals aboard the flight.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation and said Sunday it was launching a go-team. Investigators were expected to arrive on Sunday and Monday morning. The NTSB scheduled a media briefing in West Palm Beach for Monday. No cause for the crash has been determined at this time.

Air traffic control recordings reveal that the pilots reported encountering turbulence, icing, and precipitation while flying east at 35,000 feet. The pilot requested a climb of 2,000 feet. Minutes before the impact, the pilot informed the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center that the aircraft was experiencing light clear ice and moderate turbulence. The outside air temperature was recorded at minus 47 degrees Celsius, and turbulence caused the jet to bounce by as much as 700 feet.

The situation deteriorated rapidly after the pilots requested the climb. The pilot radioed, "We're descending 8,000, mayday, mayday, we're descending 10,000 feet per minute." The descent rate accelerated to 10,000 feet per minute, then 20,000 feet per minute, before reaching 30,000 feet per minute. This speed pushed the jet beyond its design limits. The pilot stated, "We're going to crash into the ground," and CBS News reported the pilot also said, "We're out of time." The plane banked sharply to the right before impacting the ground at a steep angle.

Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange showed a drop of 27,000 feet in about one minute before the signal cut off. The FAA confirmed the jet fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in that single minute. The aircraft struck the roadway near Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, creating a large crater and exploding, and thick black smoke covered the site.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the scene and described the event as a cataclysmic plane crash. He noted that the jet looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road. DeSantis said there were no reports of people on the ground being killed or injured at the time of his news conference. He praised local first responders for their quick response to the incident.

Residents in the area described hearing and feeling the crash. Anthony Blackmon, who said he was about 500 feet from the crash, said debris hit his house and everything was on fire. Roger Forcelle stated that the aircraft shook his entire house as it passed overhead. Andrew Mannino said he heard and felt the boom and that the power immediately went out. He smelled smoke and saw a large black cloud rise into the air. Another witness described the aftermath as looking like a meteor had hit the ground.

Approximately 600 residents in a nearby mobile home community had to leave their homes Sunday night. The crash scene blocks the entrance to the park and is being treated as a crime scene while federal investigators work, county officials said. No official has alleged that a crime took place. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said residents are being sent to two county shelters. The Red Cross is standing by, and Palm Tran buses are ready to transport residents once law enforcement allows the evacuation to proceed.

Palm Beach County closed Military Trail between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive until further notice. The road is open only to emergency vehicles. Officials advised drivers to use 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive for east-west travel and Haverhill Road and Kirk Road for north-south travel. A county commissioner warned that parts of the road could remain closed for an extended period due to the crater and the ongoing federal investigation.

Whether the weather played a part has not been determined. Scattered storms were in the area, and the jet passed through a stronger storm cell just minutes before descending. The FAA had issued a convective SIGMET warning of thunderstorms in the region. Heavy rain fell across the area on Sunday, and the National Weather Service maintained a flood watch through Monday afternoon. In January 2024, the NTSB issued a safety alert noting that in-flight icing can make managing flightpath and airspeed more difficult.

Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department, stated that dashcam video will be important for investigators. She noted that the steep dive was not a controlled descent, indicating the pilots had lost control of the plane. The steep angle could have torn parts off the aircraft, and the explosion may have destroyed the flight recorder. It is not known whether the jet carried a cockpit voice recorder, as FAA rules require multi-engine jets to have one only when flown for hire.

Flight tracking and FAA registry data identify the jet as a Learjet 60 with registration N722BD. The aircraft is owned by LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware. CNN reported the jet is listed online as available for charter. Officials have not identified who operated the flight on Sunday. The crash is the deadliest ever involving a Learjet 60, according to Flight Safety Foundation data. The previous worst incident involved four fatalities in 2008 when a Learjet 60 crashed on takeoff in Columbia, South Carolina.

The Learjet brand, made famous by Bill Lear in the 1960s, was most recently built by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. Bombardier stopped making new Learjets in 2021 but continues to support the planes still in service. The FAA registry lists the aircraft as a Learjet 60. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the exact cause of the rapid descent and impact.