One-Minute 27,000 Foot Drop Leaves Nine Aboard Learjet Dead

A private Learjet 60 crashed into a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, killing everyone aboard in a crash the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

The Federal Aviation Administration stated that the jet struck the ground at approximately 12:50 p.m. Eastern Time. The FAA said the jet fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in one minute just before the crash, and the AP reported that the descent rate pushed the jet beyond its design limits.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the incident as a horrific tragedy in a post on X, confirming that all nine people on board were killed. The jet had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. The FAA noted that its information was preliminary.

The crash occurred near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North in Greenacres, a city of about 45,000 residents located roughly seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach. The site is about four miles south of the West Palm Beach airport, which was renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport earlier in the year.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis arrived at the scene and described the impact as cataclysmic to reporters. He said the jet appeared to fall like a missile, leaving a large crater on the side of the road. DeSantis reported no casualties on the ground at the time of his press conference and praised the rapid response of local first responders.

Witnesses provided vivid accounts of the moments surrounding the crash. Anthony Blackmon, a nearby resident who said he was about 500 feet from the crash, stated that debris hit his house and the road was on fire. Roger Forcelle said he felt the aircraft pass over his home and that it crashed probably less than half a mile from where he lives. Andrew Mannino reported that the power went out immediately and that he saw a large black cloud rise from the area.

Video recorded by people in nearby cars captured the jet plunging from the sky, striking near the roadway and exploding, the AP reported. Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater, which was located feet from homes and inches from passing vehicles. Thick black smoke covered the site, and the road surface buckled where the jet struck.

Air traffic control recordings and flight tracking data detailed the final minutes of the flight. The pilots reported turbulence, icing, and precipitation while flying east at about 35,000 feet. They requested a climb of 2,000 feet and reported an outside air temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius. The pilot also noted that turbulence was bouncing the jet by as much as 700 feet.

The situation deteriorated rapidly after the request to climb. The pilot radioed that the jet was descending 8,000, then declared a mayday and said it was descending 10,000 feet per minute, then 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot stated that they were in an overspeed condition and said, "We're going to crash into the ground." CBS News reported the pilot also said, "We're out of time." The descent rate reached as high as 30,000 feet per minute before the plane banked sharply to the right and hit the ground at a steep angle.

Whether the weather played a part has not been determined. Scattered storms were present in the area, and the jet passed through a stronger storm cell minutes before the descent began. The FAA had issued a convective SIGMET for the region, a warning of thunderstorms that threaten aircraft. The National Weather Service had a flood watch in effect through Monday afternoon, and heavy rain fell across the region Sunday.

About 600 residents of a nearby mobile home community had to leave their homes Sunday night, county officials said. The crash scene blocks the entrance to the park and is being treated as a crime scene while federal investigators work, though no official has alleged that a crime took place. County Commissioner Joel Flores, who was the first county official at the scene, said residents were being sent to two county shelters. The Red Cross was standing by, and Palm Tran buses were ready to transport residents once law enforcement allowed the evacuation.

Military Trail was closed between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive, open only to emergency vehicles. The county directed drivers to use alternate routes for east-west and north-south travel. A county commissioner warned that the road could remain closed for an extended period because of the crater, and officials said the timeline also depends on the federal investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday it was launching a go-team, and investigators were expected to arrive Sunday and Monday morning. A media briefing was scheduled for Monday in West Palm Beach. No cause for the crash had been determined at the time of reporting. Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department, said dashcam video will be important to investigators, adding that it was not a controlled descent and that it was clear whatever happened, they had lost control of the plane.

Flight tracking and FAA registry data identified the aircraft as a Learjet 60 with registration N722BD. The FAA registry lists the jet as owned by LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware. Records indicate the jet was offered for charter flights, though officials had not confirmed who operated the Sunday flight. FAA rules require multi-engine jets to carry a cockpit voice recorder only when flown for hire. It is not known if this jet carried such a device.

This is the deadliest crash involving a Learjet 60, according to Flight Safety Foundation data. The previous record was set in 2008 when four people died in a Learjet 60 crash in Columbia, South Carolina. NTSB records show this is the second deadliest crash in the United States this year, following a skydiving plane crash in Butler, Missouri, in June that killed 12 people.