Nine dead, 600 residents need shelter after Learjet 60 crash in Florida By Luís Henrique Costa
4 min read
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Nine people died after a Learjet 60 business jet crashed into a residential area of Greenacres, Florida, a city about seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach, on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The aircraft came down on Military Trail at 12:50 p.m. local time, or 14h50 in Brasília, and left a fireball, a crater in the pavement and debris spread over nearby homes.
The jet, registration N722BD, took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas at 9:36 a.m. local time on a private flight bound for the Bahamas. It reached a cruising altitude of about 10.6 kilometers before losing lift abruptly. It struck the ground at more than 420 km/h, closing seven traffic lanes and cutting power in the surrounding area.
Authorities keep the nine names private until families are told
Emergency and security agencies have not released the names or nationalities of the nine people who were on board. Under the usual protocol after air disasters, identities are confirmed only after the Palm Beach County medical examiner recovers the bodies and completes dental, fingerprint or genetic comparisons. Officials have also not said how many of the nine were passengers and how many were crew.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine people aboard were killed and called the crash a “horrific tragedy.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of anyone on the ground injured or killed, although the debris field was large. Authorities have not yet said how many residents were affected by the damage.
Jet dropped from 35,000 feet in just over a minute
Flight data from the Federal Aviation Administration shows the jet fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in a little over one minute. The Associated Press reported, based on air traffic control recordings and flight tracking data, that the descent rate reached as much as 30,000 feet per minute, beyond the aircraft’s design limits. Pilots had earlier reported turbulence, icing and precipitation and asked to climb 2,000 feet.
Accounts of the final radio transmissions differ between outlets, and the content has not been officially released. Residents filmed the plunge on dashcams, and a fireball and black smoke were visible from several miles away. Fragments of the fuselage, landing gear and structural parts landed on sidewalks a few meters from homes, and police set up a wide cordon to protect the wreckage.
NTSB leads probe as weather and icing come under review
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the US federal agency that investigates transport accidents, leads the inquiry, with support from the Federal Aviation Administration. The NTSB said its investigators would reach the site on Sunday and Monday morning, and the agency plans a media briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday, with the time and place still to be announced.
See also: Tropical Storm Isaias triggers emergency mobilization in Florida
Investigators will collect wreckage, look for signs of mechanical failure or fatigue in the structure, and seek any flight data and voice recorders. Weather observations from the area showed overcast skies, rain and lightning, with easterly winds of about 15 mph, but investigators have not determined whether the weather contributed. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said the aircraft was private and that the morning departure was formally in order, but he could not immediately give details about who was on the flight.
Specs of the Learjet 60 that crashed in Florida
- Model: Learjet 60, a twin-engine business jet built by Bombardier
- Registration: N722BD, serial number 271, registered to LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware
- Age: 22 years, according to the FAA
- Capacity: two crew and up to eight passengers, according to GlobalAir.com
- Performance: cruising speed up to 779 km/h, ceiling of 16 km and maximum takeoff weight of 10.6 tonnes
The NTSB will hold its media briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday, November 2, 2026, while Military Trail stays closed between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. Officials have told drivers to use alternate routes, and the NTSB’s formal report is expected only after the field work, in the weeks that follow.
