All nine people aboard a private Learjet 60 were killed Sunday when the aircraft nosedived into a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, and erupted in a fireball, U.S. officials confirmed.
The twin-engine business jet, registered N722BD, crashed around 12:50 p.m. local time near the intersection of Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in the Greenacres/Cresthaven area. The plane had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas earlier that day and was en route to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that everyone on board died and described the crash as a “horrific tragedy.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, speaking near the scene, called it “cataclysmic,” saying the jet “looked like a missile going down” and left a large crater beside the roadway. There were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities among people on the ground.
Dashcam videos captured by motorists show the aircraft in a steep, near-vertical dive before impact, followed by a massive explosion and thick black smoke. Debris was scattered across a wide area, and a portion of Military Trail was closed. Authorities temporarily evacuated residents from a nearby mobile home community — estimates put the number of people affected at around 600 — while crews secured the site.
Air traffic control recordings reveal the pilots reported light clear icing, moderate turbulence, and precipitation while requesting a climb. Shortly afterward, a pilot declared an emergency, reporting a descent of 10,000 feet per minute that quickly increased to 20,000 feet per minute in an overspeed condition. The final transmissions indicated the crew was rapidly running out of altitude.
The aircraft, a 2004 Bombardier Learjet 60 owned by a Delaware limited liability company, was operating a private flight. The identities of the nine people on board — including how many were passengers versus crew — have not been released.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with support from the Federal Aviation Administration. Investigators began arriving at the scene Sunday evening and into Monday. A media briefing was scheduled for Monday in West Palm Beach. The cause of the rapid loss of control remains under investigation.
Officials continue to monitor the situation as recovery and investigation efforts proceed.
