Pilot Says 'We're Going to Crash Into the Ground' Before Learjet Kills Nine in Palm Beach County

All nine people aboard a private Learjet 60 died when the aircraft plunged from the sky into a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, November 1, 2026. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the fatalities, describing the incident as a horrific tragedy. The jet was traveling from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. It struck the ground near Military Trail at approximately 12:50 p.m. Eastern Time.

Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot’s final moments before the crash. After reporting light ice and moderate turbulence, the pilot declared a mayday, stating the aircraft was descending at 10,000 feet per minute. The descent rate accelerated to 20,000 feet per minute, and the pilot announced an overspeed condition. The pilot then said, 'We're going to crash into the ground.' CBS News reported the pilot also said, 'We're out of time.'

The FAA said the jet fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in one minute just before the crash. The descent rate reached as high as 30,000 feet per minute, pushing the jet beyond its design limits, the AP reported. The plane banked sharply to the right before hitting the ground at a steep angle. The FAA noted that the jet was flying in an area where a convective SIGMET was in effect, warning of thunderstorms. Scattered storms were in the area, heavy rain fell across the region Sunday, and the National Weather Service had a flood watch in effect through Monday afternoon.

The crash site is located in Greenacres, a city of about 45,000 residents roughly seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach. The impact created a large crater near a busy roadway. Debris scattered across the area, and flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater. Thick black smoke covered the site, and the road surface buckled where the jet struck. Witnesses in nearby cars recorded video of the jet descending and exploding near the roadway.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the scene and told reporters the crash looked like a missile coming down. 'It left a big crater on the side of the road,' DeSantis said. He noted that there were no initial reports of people on the ground being killed or injured. DeSantis praised local first responders for their rapid response. He added that the debris field stretched a long distance from the point of impact.

Residents near the crash site described the immediate aftermath. Anthony Blackmon, who was about 500 feet from the crash, said debris hit his house and the road was on fire. 'I've always seen it on the news, never thought it would happen so close to somebody like how it happened today,' Blackmon told NBC 6. Roger Forcelle, another resident, said he felt the aircraft pass over his home, shaking the entire structure. 'Everybody came out of their houses because you could feel it shaking,' Forcelle said. Andrew Mannino told CNN he heard and felt a boom, that the power immediately went out and that he saw a large black cloud rise into the air.

About 600 people in a nearby mobile home community had to leave their homes Sunday night. County officials said the crash scene blocks the park's entrance and is being treated as a crime scene while federal investigators work. No official has alleged that a crime took place. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores, who was the first county official on site, said residents were being sent to two county shelters. 'So we have about 600 people that we have to make sure that they have shelter tonight,' Flores said. The Red Cross was on standby, and Palm Tran buses were ready to transport residents once law enforcement cleared the way.

The county closed Military Trail between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive to all traffic except emergency vehicles. Officials instructed drivers to use 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive for east-west travel. For north-south travel, Haverhill Road and Kirk Road served as alternates. A county commissioner warned that parts of the road could remain closed for an extended period due to the crater. The timeline for reopening the road also depends on the progress of the federal investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation and launched a go-team on Sunday. Investigators were expected to arrive Sunday and Monday morning. The NTSB planned a media briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday. No cause for the crash has been determined yet. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, told the Associated Press the jet was a private aircraft and could not say who was on the flight. 'This is definitely a tragedy,' Reynolds said.

Mary Schiavo, an aviation analyst and former inspector general of the U.S. Transportation Department, said it was clear that, whatever happened, the pilots had lost control of the plane. 'That is not a controlled descent,' Schiavo said. She said the steep dive could have torn parts off the plane and that a flight recorder could have been destroyed in the explosion. It is unknown whether the jet carried a cockpit voice recorder. FAA rules require multi-engine jets to carry one only when flown for hire. Records show the jet was offered for charter flights.

The aircraft is registered as N722BD and is listed in the FAA registry as a Learjet 60 owned by LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware. CNN reported the jet is listed online as available for charter. Officials have not yet identified who operated the specific flight that crashed on Sunday. The crash is the deadliest ever involving a Learjet 60, according to data from the Flight Safety Foundation. In 2008, four people died when a Learjet 60 crashed on takeoff in Columbia, South Carolina.

NTSB records show this is the second deadliest crash in the United States this year. The deadliest occurred in June in Butler, Missouri, where a skydiving plane crash killed 12 people. Learjet, a brand known for business aviation, was last built by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. Bombardier stopped making new Learjets in 2021 but continues to support the planes still in service.