Learjet 60 pilot declared mayday before fatal plunge into Palm Beach County

27,000 feet. That is how far flight tracking site ADS-B Exchange showed a Learjet 60 business jet dropping in about a minute before slamming into a neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

All nine people on board died in the crash, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the jet struck the ground at approximately 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. It was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

The jet crashed near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North in Greenacres. This city has a population of about 45,000 and sits roughly 7 miles southwest of West Palm Beach. The crash site is about four miles south of President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The airport was renamed earlier this year. CNN reported that President Trump was in West Palm Beach earlier in the day. He left the airport on Air Force One a little more than an hour before the crash.

Pilot communications captured by air traffic control show the rapid deterioration of the flight. The pilots reported light, clear ice and moderate turbulence. They noted an outside air temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius. The jet was bouncing by as much as 700 feet. Minutes later, the pilot declared a mayday. He reported a descent rate of 10,000 feet per minute. The descent rate increased to 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot stated the aircraft was in an overspeed condition. He then 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, the AP reported. This pushed the jet beyond its design limits. The plane banked sharply to the right before hitting the ground at a steep angle. Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange showed the drop of 27,000 feet in about a minute. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. A go-team was launched on Sunday. Investigators were expected to arrive Sunday and Monday morning. The NTSB planned a media briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday. No cause has been determined.

Witnesses described the scene. Anthony Blackmon, a resident about 500 feet from the crash, said debris hit his house. "Everything was on fire. The road was on fire," Blackmon said 6. Roger Forcelle felt the aircraft pass over his home. "It shook the whole house," Forcelle said. Andrew Mannino heard a boom and lost power. He saw a large black cloud rise into the air. Another witness said the aftermath looked like a meteor had hit the ground. A woman working nearby reported the electricity was out for about two hours.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the site. He described the crash as cataclysmic. "It looked like a missile going down," DeSantis told reporters. He noted the crash 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 first responders for their quick action. The debris field stretched a long distance from the impact point.

Video from nearby cars captured the jet plunging from the sky. The aircraft struck near the roadway and exploded. Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater. The crater was feet from homes and inches from passing vehicles. Thick black smoke covered the site. Video from WPBF showed the road buckled where the jet hit. The crash occurred near a busy road.

About 600 people in a nearby mobile home community had to leave their homes on Sunday night. The crash scene blocks the entrance to the mobile home park. The area is being treated as a crime scene while federal investigators work. No official has alleged a crime took place. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores was the first county official at the scene. Residents were sent to two county shelters. "So we have about 600 people that we have to make sure that they have shelter tonight," Flores said. The Red Cross stood by to assist. Palm Tran buses were ready to carry residents once law enforcement allowed the evacuation.

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. Drivers were told to use 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive for east-west travel. They were told to use Haverhill Road and Kirk Road for north-south travel. A county commissioner warned that parts of the road could stay closed for an extended time. The timeline depends on the federal investigation and the state of the crater.

The jet was flying east at about 35,000 feet when the pilots reported turbulence. They asked to climb 2,000 feet. The FAA said the jet fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in one minute just before the crash. Scattered storms were in the area. The jet passed through a stronger storm cell a few minutes before it began to descend. The FAA had issued a convective SIGMET, a warning of thunderstorms that threaten aircraft. Whether the weather played a part has not been determined. Heavy rain fell across the region on Sunday. The National Weather Service had a flood watch in effect through Monday afternoon.

The jet is identified by its registration, N722BD. FAA registry data lists it as a Learjet 60 owned by LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware. The jet is listed online as available for charter. Officials have not said who operated Sunday's flight. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, called the jet a private aircraft. He said the airport could not say who was on the flight. "This is definitely a tragedy," Reynolds said. Officials have not released the names of the nine people killed. They have not said how many were passengers and how many were crew.

This crash is the deadliest ever involving a Learjet 60. Flight Safety Foundation data shows this as the record. 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. A skydiving plane crash in Butler, Missouri, in June killed 12 people. Learjet was most recently built by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. Bombardier stopped making new Learjets in 2021 but still supports the planes in service.

Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department, said dashcam video will be important to investigators. "That is not a controlled descent," Schiavo said. "So at that point, it's clear whatever happened, they had lost control of the plane." She said the steep dive could have torn parts off the plane. A flight recorder could have been destroyed in the explosion. It is not known whether the jet carried a cockpit voice recorder. FAA rules require multi-engine jets to carry one only when they are flown for hire. Records show the jet was offered for charter flights.

The NTSB is leading the investigation. The FAA is sending a team to the scene to support the investigation. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash a horrific tragedy in a post on X. He asked the public to pray for the families and loved ones of those lost. The investigation is ongoing.