Learjet crashes into Palm Beach County home, killing all nine on board

All nine people aboard a Learjet 60 died on Sunday, November 1, when the aircraft crashed into a neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the deaths in a post on social media. The Federal Aviation Administration reported the jet went down at 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. It had left Austin, Texas, and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. Investigators are expected to arrive in the area over the weekend and hold a media briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday. No cause for the crash has been determined yet. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said the aircraft was private. He did not identify the passengers or crew.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's officials located the crash site in Greenacres, a city of about 45,000 people. The jet hit near Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. This spot is roughly seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the scene. He described the crash as a cataclysmic event that left a large crater on the side of the road. He said there were no reports of people on the ground being killed or injured.

Air traffic control recordings show the pilot reported light ice, moderate turbulence, and an outside temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius. The pilot requested a climb of 2,000 feet. Minutes later, the pilot declared a mayday and reported a descent rate of 10,000 feet per minute. The pilot then stated the plane was descending at 20,000 feet per minute and said, We are in an overspeed condition. The pilot also said, We are going to crash into the ground. The jet lost 27,000 feet in about one minute before the data signal ended.

Residents described the scene immediately after the impact. Anthony Blackmon, who lived about 500 feet away, said debris hit his house and the road was on fire. Roger Forcelle said the aircraft shook his home as it passed overhead. Andrew Mannino reported a loud boom and a power outage that lasted for about two hours. Video from nearby cars captured the jet plunging from the sky and exploding near the roadway.

County officials ordered about 600 residents from a nearby mobile home community to leave their homes Sunday night. The crash scene blocks the entrance to the park and is being treated as a crime scene during the investigation. Commissioner Joel Flores said residents are being sent to two county shelters. The Red Cross is standing by, and buses are ready to transport residents once law enforcement clears the way.

Military Trail is closed between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane for emergency vehicles only. The FAA registry lists the jet as N722BD, owned by LR60271 LLC in Wilmington, Delaware. The plane is available for charter flights. This is the deadliest crash involving a Learjet 60 on record. It is the second deadliest crash in the United States this year, following a skydiving plane accident in Missouri in June.