Learjet 60 Bound for Bahamas Crashes in Palm Beach County, Killing All 9 Aboard

A Learjet 60 carrying nine people crashed into a roadway in Palm Beach County, Florida, at about 12:50 p.m. today, Sunday, Nov. 1, and everyone aboard died. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the deaths on X.

The FAA said the jet took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. It went down in a residential area near Cresthaven.

"Today's plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida is a horrific tragedy," Duffy wrote. "Please join me in praying for the families and loved ones of those we lost."

What the flight data and video show

Flightradar24 said the aircraft climbed to a cruising altitude of 41,000 feet. Near Naples, Florida, it began a descent to 35,000 feet, then briefly climbed before entering a steep, right-hand descent.

Dashcam and other video from drivers on the road shows the jet falling nose-first toward the pavement and exploding. The impact left a crater in the road. Black smoke rose past palm trees, and flames burned beside a utility pole.

BNO News reported that the jet came down on South Military Trail near the entrance to a mobile home park and a strip mall parking lot at 3001 South Military Trail. The Daily Wire, citing the New York Post, reported that the plane also struck trees and power lines. The same account quotes nearby residents who said the crash sounded "like a missile" and says authorities called it a "mass casualty event."

The final radio calls

BNO News reported air traffic control audio in which the crew of the aircraft, tail number N722BD, declared an emergency. "Mayday, mayday. We're descending 10,000 feet per minute," a voice said. "We're going to crash into the ground."

A controller answered: "I'm here with you. Talk to me."

The crew then said they were descending through 22,000 feet and banking 60 degrees, according to BNO's account of the audio. Screaming and an unintelligible passage followed before the transmission ended. The FAA has not released the audio or a transcript.

Weather, location and the response

The National Weather Service had South Florida under a flood watch for "excessive rainfall" Sunday, and thunderstorms were widespread across the region that afternoon. No official has linked the weather to the crash. Investigators have not named a cause.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue told the public to avoid the area and called it "an extended incident." The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office closed Military Trail in both directions near Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North until further notice.

The crash site is less than four miles from Palm Beach International Airport, which BNO News notes now carries the name President Donald J. Trump International Airport. Distances to Mar-a-Lago given for the site range from roughly five to ten miles. President Trump had left West Palm Beach aboard Air Force One around noon for a midterm rally in Iowa, according to White House pool reports.

Investigation

The FAA said it and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, with the NTSB in charge. The FAA said the NTSB "will provide all updates." Teams from both agencies were headed to the site.

Austin airport spokesman Jim Reynolds said the jet was a private aircraft. "This is definitely a tragedy," he said. He could not say who was on board.

The passengers' identities have not been released. Authorities have not said whether anyone on the ground was hurt, though the aircraft hit a road with traffic and came down close to homes.

Several key questions remain. Investigators will look at why a jet cruising at 41,000 feet entered a steep, rapid descent after briefly climbing, and what the crew was dealing with when they declared the emergency. The NTSB, as lead agency, will be the source of any findings on cause, and the sheriff's office has not said when Military Trail will reopen.