Nine Killed as Learjet 60 Crashes in Palm Beach County, Florida

A Learjet 60 bound for the Bahamas crashed in a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, November 1, killing all nine people aboard, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, and no cause has been determined.

What Happened

The jet crashed near Cresthaven, according to the FAA, in an area along Military Trail that other officials place near Greenacres and Lake Worth Beach. The flight had left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, the FAA said.

Video footage shows the aircraft nosediving and exploding close to passing vehicles and nearby homes. The impact left a large crater in the roadway, and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue described it as an extended incident. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies closed Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North.

The Flight Before the Crash

According to AvWeb, ADS-B tracking data shows the jet climbing to 41,000 feet and starting to descend to about 35,000 feet near Naples, Florida. It then briefly climbed before entering a steep, descending right turn. AvWeb reported a maximum descent rate of more than 32,000 feet per minute before tracking data was lost. Another analysis relayed by AeroCorner put the descent at about 27,000 feet in roughly a minute. These figures are preliminary.

Air traffic control audio described by CNN, which AvWeb and AeroCorner cite, has the pilot reporting light, clear ice that was manageable and moderate turbulence. The crew then reported precipitation and asked to climb, declared an emergency, and reported an overspeed condition and a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute. The NTSB has not commented on the audio.

We’re descending 8,000 – mayday, mayday - we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,

 the pilot said.

We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute … We’re going to crash into the ground.

The Weather

Thunderstorms were present across South Florida, AvWeb reported. A National Weather Service observation about 15 minutes before the crash recorded thunderstorms in the vicinity with three miles of visibility. CNN, as relayed by AeroCorner, said the jet passed a stronger storm cell a few minutes before its rapid descent.

Whether weather played any part has not been established. An aviation consultant raised storm damage as a possibility, but it should be noted that neither weather damage nor an in-flight breakup has been confirmed.

The Aircraft

The jet was a Learjet 60 registered N722BD, according to AeroCorner and BizJet Journal. Both outlets cite FAA registry data showing it was owned by LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware. 

On the Ground

Officials have not reported anyone injured on the ground. AeroCorner relayed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said no one on the ground was hurt, and that officials had no reports of ground casualties at the time of a news conference. 

The Palm Beach Post described the jet coming down in a mobile home neighborhood, while the Associated Press, as cited by NBC 6 and relayed by AeroCorner, said it appeared to narrowly miss homes, and no official statement says a home was struck. About 600 people from a nearby mobile home community were expected to move to shelters while the site was treated as a crime scene.

The Investigation

The NTSB is sending a go-team and leads the inquiry, with the FAA assisting. AeroCorner reported that a media briefing was scheduled for Monday in West Palm Beach. The identities of those on board, and how many were passengers and how many crew, have not been released.

What Remains Unclear

The cause of the crash is unknown. So are the identities of the victims, the operator of the flight and the full extent of damage on the ground. The reports available and details may change after the NTSB briefing.