A business jet carrying nine people crashed into a South Florida neighborhood, erupting into a massive fireball and killing everyone aboard. The aircraft came down near a busy roadway in Palm Beach County, narrowly missing nearby homes and passing vehicles, according to The Guardian.
The Bahamas-bound Learjet 60 had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas earlier that day, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Videos recorded by people inside nearby vehicles captured the aircraft plunging toward the ground before exploding on impact. The crash left a crater beside the road, with flames and thick black smoke rising from the wreckage.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed in a post made on X that the aircraft crashed in Palm Beach County at approximately 12:50 p.m. and described the incident as a “horrific tragedy.” The FAA is sending a team to assist the National Transportation Safety Board with its investigation. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities on the ground, describing the crash as “cataclysmic.”
It was a steep descent
Air traffic control recordings and flight-tracking data offer some insight into the aircraft’s final moments. The Learjet was reportedly flying east at approximately 35,000 feet when the pilots told controllers they were encountering turbulence, icing, and precipitation. “We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” they initially mentioned.
After requesting permission to climb another 2,000 feet, the aircraft began descending rapidly. The pilot declared an emergency and reported that the plane was losing altitude at an increasingly alarming rate. “We are descending 8,000 – mayday, mayday – we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot told air traffic controllers. The pilot later reported that the aircraft was going down too fast as the descent accelerated to 20,000 feet per minute.
In a final distress call, the pilot said, “We’re going to crash into the ground.” Data from Flightradar24 indicated that the aircraft’s vertical descent rate eventually exceeded 32,000 feet per minute. The plane also banked sharply to the right before striking the ground. Investigators have not yet established what caused the sudden loss of control.
Aki Kuusisto, a man whose car’s dashcam captured the footage of the impact, told CBS News that “I heard a whistling noise, a big bang, and I saw a fireball.” He further added that “It’s a miracle it didn’t hit anybody coming down.”
Emergency crews rushed to the crash site near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. Palm Beach County authorities closed roads in both directions and urged motorists to avoid the area. Officials also began evacuating approximately 600 residents from a nearby mobile home community as crews responded to the wreckage. The identity of the victims has not yet been revealed.
Published: Nov 2, 2026 11:00 am