Florida: nine dead as Bahamas-bound Learjet crashes near West Palm Beach

A Learjet 60 business jet crashed on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at about 12:50 p.m. in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, Florida, roughly 7 miles southwest of West Palm Beach. All nine people on board were killed, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced, calling it a "horrific tragedy."

The private aircraft, registered N722BD, had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The victims have not yet been identified publicly.

A 35,000-foot fall in one minute

According to air traffic control recordings and flight-tracking data cited by the Associated Press, the crew, flying at 35,000 feet, reported turbulence, icing and precipitation, then asked to climb 2,000 feet. The plane then went into a dive, with its descent rate reaching 30,000 feet per minute, beyond the aircraft's limits. A pilot declared an emergency, reporting an overspeed condition and a descent of 20,000 feet per minute. According to the FAA, cited by ABC News, the jet went from 35,250 to 8,750 feet in one minute before impact.

About 600 residents displaced

The plane came down near a road and a mobile home park, leaving a large crater. Governor Ron DeSantis called the crash "cataclysmic" and said there were no immediate reports of anyone hurt on the ground. About 600 residents needed shelter for the night, District Commissioner Joel Flores said, and the road may stay closed for at least 30 days, according to the BBC.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation with support from the FAA. The cause of the crash is not yet known.