Nine people died when a private business jet crashed near homes in Palm Beach County on Sunday, November 1, prompting emergency crews to evacuate hundreds of residents from the surrounding community. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that everyone aboard the Learjet 60 was killed.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft went down at about 12:50 p.m. in a residential area of Palm Springs. It had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. Authorities had not released the identities of those aboard.
Palm Beach County sheriff's personnel and fire rescue crews responded immediately. The impact left a large crater beside a road and spread wreckage across the area, officials said. Video showed the aircraft diving nose first before erupting in flames, with thick black smoke rising from the crash site.
Radio communications archived by LiveATC.Net captured the crew reporting difficult flight conditions before declaring an emergency. In an exchange with air traffic control, a pilot reported an outside temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius, moderate turbulence and ice that the crew was managing. The pilot subsequently reported precipitation and requested permission to climb, which the controller granted.
Later transmissions described a rapidly worsening descent. A pilot declared an emergency and reported descent rates of 10,000 feet per minute, followed by 20,000 feet per minute, along with an overspeed condition. The controller continued asking what assistance was needed. The crew also reported a 60-degree bank. A flight-tracking image from AirNav Radar, distributed by Storyful, showed a sharp bank before impact.
At a news conference near the scene, Gov. Ron DeSantis described the destruction and praised the response by sheriff's personnel and firefighters. He said officials had received no reports at that point of deaths or injuries among people on the ground. Whether falling debris had injured anyone outside the aircraft remained unconfirmed.
Evacuations created an immediate need for accommodation and meals. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said crews were working to ensure that about 600 people from the adjacent community had shelter and food for the night. He said the Red Cross was standing by to help provide those initial services.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced that it was dispatching an investigation team, with personnel expected at the site Sunday and Monday morning. The agency planned a Monday media briefing in West Palm Beach, with the time and location to be announced. The FAA was also sending a team to support the investigation. Officials had not determined what caused the crash.
