Nine Killed as Learjet 60 Crashes Into Florida Residential Area
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida — Nine people died Sunday when a Learjet 60 crashed into a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, triggering a massive fire and scattering debris across a nearby roadway, US officials said.
The aircraft crashed near Military Trail, close to Cresthaven and Greenacres, at around 12:50 p.m. local time (17:50 GMT) on November 1, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The jet had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine people aboard were killed.
Images from the scene showed a large crater in the road, surrounded by burning debris, damaged pavement and fragments of the aircraft. The impact also caused significant damage to nearby infrastructure.
The pilot reported an emergency as the aircraft descended rapidly.
Air traffic control recordings suggest the aircraft was experiencing serious difficulties in the moments before the crash.
According to audio reviewed by News, the pilot initially reported that the jet was descending at approximately 10,000 feet per minute before declaring an emergency.
The situation appeared to worsen moments later, with the pilot reporting an overspeed condition and a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute.
"We're going to crash ... We're out of time," the pilot told air traffic controllers, according to the recordings.
Flight-tracking data reviewed by FlightRadar24 suggested that the aircraft's descent rate briefly exceeded 32,000 feet per minute. However, investigators have yet to determine what caused the rapid descent or establish the precise sequence of events leading to the crash.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the footage of the incident during a news conference.
"When you see that video, it's a jarring thing," DeSantis said. "It's like a missile coming down and a massive explosion, with debris going everywhere."
Hundreds of residents evacuated after crash.
The crash prompted an emergency response and the evacuation of hundreds of people living near the impact site.
Palm Beach County officials said approximately 600 residents of the nearby Green Acres Family Community were being evacuated while emergency crews secured the area.
Military Trail, a major roadway running through the area, was closed following the crash. The impact damaged sections of the road and nearby water infrastructure, adding to the disruption for local residents.
A county commissioner warned that repairs could take considerable time, saying the southbound section might remain closed for at least 30 days.
Despite the scale of the explosion, DeSantis said officials had received no reports of fatalities or injuries among people on the ground as of Sunday's news conference.
NTSB leads investigation into fatal accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, with assistance from the FAA.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash a "horrific tragedy" and said the FAA was sending a team to assist investigators at the scene.
Recordings of the aircraft's final communications reportedly included references to icing, turbulence and precipitation. Thunderstorms and heavy rain were also reported in the area around the time of the accident.
However, officials have not established whether weather played a role in the crash. Investigators will need to examine the aircraft, flight data, weather conditions and communications with air traffic control before determining what happened.
The identities of the nine people aboard had not been publicly released in the initial reports. Authorities had also not established what caused the aircraft to lose control.
Trump had left Palm Beach shortly before the crash.
US President Donald Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach earlier Sunday before departing the area aboard Air Force One.
His departure from a nearby airport took place approximately an hour before the crash. There was no indication that Trump's movements were connected to the accident.
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
