Nine Confirmed Dead After Horrific Plane Crash In Florida
A business jet carrying nine people crashed in a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, killing everyone aboard.
The twin-engine business jet, which has been identified as a Learjet 60 registered as N722BD and operated under a Delaware limited liability company, had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas earlier that day bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. The aircraft struck the ground near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, in the Cresthaven/Greenacres area shortly before 1 p.m. Eastern Time, according to local outlet Fox 13.
The impact occurred near a busy roadway adjacent to homes and a mobile home community, creating a large crater in the pavement, scattering debris across a wide area, and producing a large fireball. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, speaking at the scene, described the descent as resembling a missile and noted the significant debris field.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine people on board were killed. There have been no confirmed reports of deaths or injuries among people on the ground from the impact or debris as of this report.
However, the damage prompted the temporary evacuation of approximately 600 nearby residents to shelters while investigators secured the site and assessed the area. Small fires in the vicinity were extinguished, and power was disrupted for a period in parts of the neighborhood.
WATCH: New video shows Learjet 60 business jet crashing near West Palm Beach, Florida.
The plane was completely disintegrated upon impact. Number of casualties unknown. pic.twitter.com/l5JT9KEWnQ
— BNO News (@BNONews) November 1, 2026
Air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC.net show that, minutes before the crash, the crew reported light clear ice accumulation that they described as manageable. They also reported mild turbulence that bounced the aircraft by as much as 700 feet, and the onset of precipitation.
The crew then requested a climb. Shortly afterward, they declared an emergency, reporting a rapid descent that accelerated from roughly 8,000–10,000 feet per minute to an overspeed condition with a descent rate of about 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot stated that the aircraft was going to crash into the ground.
Flight tracking data indicated the jet had been at high altitude, briefly climbed, then entered a steep descending right turn, with descent rates exceeding 30,000 feet per minute in the final moments before data ceased. The plane had previously passed near thunderstorm activity in South Florida, where rain and scattered storms were present under a flood watch.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, with the NTSB leading the effort and deploying a team to the scene. Officials have stated that the cause has not been determined, and it remains unclear whether weather factors contributed to the loss of control.
Additional details on the cause of the crash are expected as the investigation proceeds.
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