PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida: Nine people were killed after a private Learjet crashed in a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, US officials said.
The Learjet 60 had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when the crash occurred, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Videos circulating on social media showed the aircraft plunging towards the ground beside a road before bursting into flames, scattering debris across the area.
🇺🇸 Business Jet With Nine Aboard Crashes Into Florida Mobile Home Park, Multiple Dead
A Learjet 60 crashed into a mobile home park in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, shortly after 1 pm local time today. The FAA says nine people were aboard. Authorities report multiple deaths, but the exact toll is unknown, including whether anyone on the ground was killed.
The jet left Austin, Texas, for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. According to Flightradar24, it suddenly went into a steep dive, descending at more than 32,000 feet per minute.
Audio circulating on social media is claimed to capture the jet’s female pilot in the moments before the crash, reporting a descent of 10,000 feet per minute during a mayday call. She then allegedly says: “Look outside, Jack… Holy f*ck, we’re out of time.”
The crash site is about 9 miles from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, where US forces recently deployed Avenger air defense systems. There is no indication of any link between the two, and the cause is not yet known.
— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) November 1, 2026
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the incident as a major tragedy during a news conference near the crash site in Lake Worth Beach.
“When you see that video, it’s a jarring thing. It was like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere,” he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the crash, while US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the incident as a “horrific tragedy”.
The aircraft, a Learjet 60 manufactured by Canadian aerospace company Bombardier, was registered to a Delaware-based corporation, according to FAA records.
A Learjet believed to be carrying nine people crashed on Sunday afternoon in Palm Beach County, Florida, after making a rapid dive of about 350 feet per second, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. https://t.co/yGgZEosfl9 https://t.co/Gk5NmoV21X
— ABC News (@ABC) November 1, 2026
Bombardier said it would fully support the investigation and co-operate with the authorities. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said the crash had left a massive crater beside a road near the entrance to a mobile home park.
Around 600 people were being evacuated from the surrounding area and relocated to two shelters in the county, he added. Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms were reported in the area at the time of the crash, according to weather forecaster AccuWeather.
Meanwhile, an audio recording of communications between the aircraft and a Miami air traffic control centre captured the crew’s final moments.
Initially, a person in the cockpit told an air traffic controller that the crew was “managing the ice” and experiencing moderate turbulence, adding that they were seeking smoother flying conditions.
Less than a minute later, the cockpit reported an emergency, repeatedly declaring “Mayday” as the aircraft began descending rapidly at around 10,000 feet per minute.
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Seconds later, the crew declared an emergency again, with the descent rate reportedly accelerating to 20,000 feet per minute. Less than 20 seconds later, the person in the cockpit warned: “We’re going to crash into the ground,” as the aircraft’s descent rate reached 22,000 feet per minute and it began banking.
About 35 seconds after the initial distress call, the final words heard from the cockpit were: “We’re out of time.” Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 reported that the aircraft’s vertical descent rate had exceeded 32,000 feet per minute at one point.
Investigators are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash, including the aircraft’s final flight and the weather conditions at the time.
