Nine Dead in Florida Learjet Crash
All nine people aboard a private jet died on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when the aircraft crashed into a residential area in Palm Beach County in south Florida. The Florida Learjet crash happened near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, between Greenacres and Palm Springs. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the deaths and called the incident a horrific tragedy.
The aircraft was a Learjet 60, a twin-engine business jet. It had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The jet crashed at about 12:50 pm local time, and videos shared on social media showed it slamming into the ground next to a road and bursting into flames.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the site and spoke to reporters near Lake Worth Beach. He said the crash left a massive crater by the road near the entrance to a mobile home park. He described the scene as cataclysmic, and said the plane looked like a missile going down. Officials said there appeared to be no casualties on the ground, even though the jet fell close to homes and cars.
About 600 people were evacuated from the area around the crash site and moved to two shelters in the county, Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said. Roads around the site were closed while emergency teams worked. The identities of the nine people who died have not yet been released. Officials said families would be told first, before any names are made public.
Florida Learjet crash: what the final moments show
An audio recording from a Miami air traffic control centre, posted on the LiveATC site, captured the last moments of the flight in unusual detail. At first, someone in the cockpit told a controller that the crew were managing ice, faced moderate turbulence and were seeking smoother air.
Less than a minute later, the same voice issued a mayday call. The person reported that the plane was suddenly descending at 10,000 feet per minute. Seconds later, the voice declared an emergency, with the descent rate rising to 20,000 feet per minute. Less than 20 seconds after that, the voice said the plane was going to crash into the ground, with the descent rate at 22,000 feet per minute as the aircraft started banking.
About 35 seconds after the first mayday call, the last words heard from the cockpit were a rapidly spoken “We’re out of time.” Flight tracking site Flightradar24 said data showed the vertical descent rate at one point exceeded 32,000 feet per minute. That figure is far above a normal descent, and it points to a sudden loss of control rather than a gradual emergency landing attempt.
Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms were occurring in the area at the time, forecaster AccuWeather said. The crew’s first radio message mentioned ice and turbulence, so weather may form one line of the inquiry. Investigators will test that against the flight data, the wreckage and the maintenance record of the aircraft before they draw any conclusion about the cause.
Investigation now under way
What happened in the Florida Learjet crash?
A Bahamas-bound Learjet 60 crashed in a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, on November 1, 2026, killing all nine people on board.
Where was the jet flying from and to?
It departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
Were there casualties on the ground?
Officials said there appeared to be no casualties on the ground, although about 600 people were evacuated from the area to two shelters.
What did the cockpit recording show?
The crew first reported ice and moderate turbulence, then issued a mayday call as the descent rate rose rapidly, from 10,000 feet per minute to more than 20,000 feet per minute.
Who is investigating the crash?
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with support from the Federal Aviation Administration. The cause is not yet known.
