Nine dead as Learjet 60 jet crashes in West Palm Beach, Florida By Luís Henrique Costa
2 min read
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Nine people died on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when a Learjet 60 business jet crashed into a residential and commercial area of West Palm Beach, Florida. The aircraft came down at 12:50 p.m. local time, about two hours after leaving Texas for the Bahamas. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that none of the occupants survived the impact and the fire that followed.
The twin-engine jet took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, in Austin, Texas, at 9:36 a.m. local time, bound for North Eleuthera, in the Bahamas. Data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicate the flight was normal until the aircraft suddenly lost lift. The crash happened a few meters from traffic on Military Trail.
All seven lanes of the avenue remain completely blocked. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office had said the closure applied to northbound and southbound traffic until further notice.
The impact produced an intense fireball that reached the median and drew Palm Beach County Fire Rescue crews to put out the flames and isolate the wreckage. The jet was flying at cruising speed at 10.6 kilometers of altitude when it dropped vertically, hitting the ground at 427.8 km/h.
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Detours and perimeter isolation as crews work at the site
The work of rescue and forensic teams affects traffic across the metropolitan area north of Miami. Drivers passing through the region need to pay attention to the following measures.
- Full closure of Military Trail in the urban stretch of West Palm Beach
- Mandatory detour for regional traffic on nearby expressways while debris is removed
- Perimeter isolation for forensic work and the search for fuselage fragments
- Fire Rescue operations centered on the perimeter of the crash
- Investigation into the cause of the crash
Federal teams seek flight recorders as the cause remains open
Investigators are looking for the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder to determine whether mechanical or weather factors led to the sudden dive. Storm cells were reported in the area at the time, but officials had not said whether the weather contributed. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate, with the NTSB leading the probe and releasing updates.
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Authorities have not released the list with the identities and nationalities of the nine victims. The list will remain under wraps until all families have been formally notified.
