Greenacres, United States: A Bombardier Learjet 60 crashed into a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, at about 12:50 p.m. local time on Sunday, November 1, 2026 killing all nine people on board, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was flying to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it crashed near Greenacres, close to Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, with the FAA providing assistance.
The aircraft, registered N722BD, was a Learjet 60, serial number 60-271. FAA registry records list LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware, as the registered owner. The FAA record does not establish that LR60271 LLC was the operator of the flight, and authorities have not publicly confirmed the operating company. Austin-Bergstrom airport officials described the aircraft as a private aircraft and said they could not immediately provide details about the occupants. The FAA confirmed that nine people were aboard, but authorities had not released their identities or publicly specified how many were passengers and how many were crew.
The aircraft was flying east at about 35,000 feet when the crew reported weather-related difficulties. According to air traffic control recordings, the pilot reported icing, precipitation and moderate turbulence, with the turbulence reportedly causing altitude deviations of as much as 700 feet. The pilot said the aircraft had manageable clear ice and was looking for smoother conditions, then requested a climb of about 2,000 feet, from 35,000 to 37,000 feet.
The situation deteriorated shortly after the climb request. The crew declared a mayday as the aircraft entered a steep descent. The pilot initially reported a descent of about 10,000 feet per minute, followed seconds later by a rate of 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot also reported that the aircraft was in an overspeed condition. The aircraft then continued descending at an extraordinary rate, with flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 indicating that the vertical descent rate eventually exceeded 32,000 feet per minute. The cockpit transmission subsequently included the warning, “We’re going to crash into the ground,” followed shortly afterward by the final reported words, “We’re out of time.”
Flight-tracking data provide a more detailed picture of the final flight, although those figures are not an official NTSB reconstruction and should therefore be treated as preliminary. Flightradar24 reported that N722BD departed Austin at about 15:37 UTC and initially climbed to approximately 41,000 feet. Near Naples, Florida, the aircraft later descended toward 35,000 feet. It subsequently made a brief climb before entering a steep right-hand descent. The last altitude received by Flightradar24 was approximately 8,750 feet, shortly before the final position was recorded over the Greenacres area. The reported vertical rate exceeded 32,000 feet per minute during the descent.
The aircraft then struck the ground in a near-vertical descent beside a roadway and erupted into a large fireball. Videos recorded from vehicles and bystanders showed the jet plunging toward the ground before the impact, followed by flames, thick black smoke and debris. The impact created a large crater near the entrance to a mobile-home community and narrowly missed nearby homes and passing vehicles. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores described the resulting crater as “massive.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who visited the crash area, described the event as a “cataclysmic plane crash” and said, “It looked like a missile going down,” referring to the aircraft’s appearance during its final descent.
The crash occurred in the Greenacres area of Palm Beach County, about seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office officials identified the affected area around Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. The road was closed in both directions while emergency crews and investigators worked at the scene. The nearby John I. Leonard High School, located at 4701 10th Avenue North, was also closed on November 2 because of the continuing emergency response and investigation.
Emergency crews from Palm Beach County and the surrounding area responded to the crash. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue described it as an “Aircraft Incident” and warned motorists to avoid the area because of the extended response. Local authorities closed Military Trail, while Florida Power & Light crews also responded. Authorities evacuated about 600 residents from a nearby mobile-home community and arranged temporary shelter and assistance as the crash investigation continued. Two shelters were made available, with county transportation assistance and the American Red Cross involved in support for displaced residents.
There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries among people on the ground, according to Governor DeSantis and initial local authorities. The aircraft’s impact, however, scattered debris across the area and caused significant disruption around the crash site. Rain and thunderstorms were affecting South Florida at the time, while the National Weather Service had a flood watch in effect because of excessive rainfall. AccuWeather also reported heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in the area. Investigators have not determined whether the weather contributed to the accident.
The NTSB has taken charge of the investigation and dispatched a go-team to the crash site, with investigators arriving Sunday and Monday. A media briefing was scheduled in West Palm Beach on Monday, November 2. The FAA said its team would support the NTSB investigation and that the NTSB would provide further updates. The investigation is expected to examine the aircraft wreckage, available flight-tracking and air traffic control information, weather conditions, aircraft systems, maintenance records and the crew’s response to the reported icing and turbulence.
At this stage, no official cause has been established. Icing, turbulence, precipitation, the rapid loss of altitude and the reported overspeed condition are all part of the preliminary sequence, but none has been identified by the NTSB as the cause of the crash.
Bombardier, the manufacturer of the Learjet, said it would support the investigation and cooperate with authorities as required. The NTSB’s investigation remains ongoing, and further information about the occupants, aircraft operation, maintenance history and the circumstances leading to the loss of control is expected to emerge as investigators examine the evidence.
