Learjet 60 Plunges 27,000 Feet in One Minute, Killing All Nine Aboard in Palm Beach County

A private Learjet 60 nose-dived near a busy roadway in Greenacres, Florida, killing all nine people on board.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash occurred at about 12:50 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, November 1. The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the event as a horrific tragedy and said the FAA is sending a team to the scene to support the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation.

Three key factors define the immediate aftermath: the rapidity of the descent, the physical destruction on the ground, and the ongoing federal inquiry. The FAA said the jet fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in one minute just before the crash. The descent rate, which reached as high as 30,000 feet per minute, pushed the jet beyond its design limits, the AP reported. The NTSB said Sunday it was launching a go-team and planned a media briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday.

The descent began after the pilots reported turbulence, icing and precipitation. Air traffic control recordings show the pilots asked to climb 2,000 feet. The outside air temperature was reported at minus 47 degrees Celsius. Moments later, the pilot declared a mayday, stating the jet was descending at 10,000 feet per minute. The rate accelerated to 20,000 feet per minute, then 30,000 feet per minute. The pilot announced, "We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute." The aircraft banked sharply to the right and struck the ground at a steep angle. CBS News reported the pilot also said, "We're out of time."

The crash site is located near Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North in the city of Greenacres. This area is roughly seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach and four miles south of the local airport. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the scene and told reporters the impact left a large crater on the side of the road. He noted that the debris field stretched a long distance and that there were no initial reports of injuries or deaths on the ground. Video captured by nearby drivers shows the jet striking the pavement and exploding. Flames surrounded chunks of asphalt near homes, and thick black smoke obscured the area. The road surface buckled where the aircraft hit.

Residents in the immediate vicinity reported feeling the force of the impact. Anthony Blackmon, who was about 500 feet from the crash, said debris hit his house and that everything was on fire. Roger Forcelle stated the house shook as the plane passed overhead. Andrew Mannino reported hearing a boom and seeing a large black cloud rise into the air. A woman working nearby said the electricity had been out for about two hours. One witness described the scene as looking like a meteor had hit the ground. No cause has been determined.

The crash forced about 600 people in a nearby mobile home community to leave their homes. County officials stated that about 600 residents had to leave their homes because the crash scene blocked the entrance to the park. The site is being treated as a crime scene while federal investigators work. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores, the first county official on the scene, said residents were being sent to two county shelters. The Red Cross stood by to assist, and Palm Tran buses were prepared to transport residents once law enforcement approved the move. No official has alleged a crime took place.

Palm Beach County closed Military Trail between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive to all traffic except emergency vehicles. The county directed 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 the road could remain closed for an extended period due to the crater and the ongoing federal investigation. Officials said the timeline also depends on the federal investigation.

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. The FAA had issued a convective SIGMET, a warning of thunderstorms that threaten aircraft. Heavy rain fell across the region on Sunday, and the National Weather Service maintained a flood watch through Monday afternoon. In January 2024, the NTSB issued a safety alert regarding in-flight icing, noting that ice can make managing flightpath and airspeed more difficult.

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

Flight tracking and FAA registry data identify the aircraft by registration N722BD. The registry lists it as a Learjet 60 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 or the names of the nine individuals killed. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, confirmed the jet was a private aircraft and described the event as a tragedy.

The Learjet brand was made famous by Bill Lear's Lear 23 with wealthy travelers in the 1960s. Bombardier, the Canadian manufacturer, stopped making new Learjets in 2021 but continues to support the planes in service. According to Flight Safety Foundation data, this is the deadliest crash ever involving a Learjet 60. In 2008, four people died when a Learjet 60 crashed on takeoff in Columbia, South Carolina. NTSB records show this is the second deadliest crash in the United States this year. The first was a skydiving plane crash in Butler, Missouri, in June that killed 12 people.

The NTSB is leading the investigation. Investigators were expected to arrive Sunday and Monday morning. The FAA provided preliminary information that nine people were on board.

The aircraft's final moments were captured by air traffic control and flight tracking systems. The data shows a rapid loss of altitude. The ground impact created a significant physical change to the neighborhood, including a crater and extensive debris. About 600 residents of the mobile home park had to leave their homes. The closure of Military Trail continues to affect local traffic patterns.