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Learjet 60 crashes in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine aboard; about 600 residents need shelter
A Learjet 60 flying from Austin to the Bahamas crashed in a residential area near Cresthaven, Palm Beach County, Florida, around 12:50 pm on 1 November, killing all nine aboard. No injuries on the ground are reported, about 600 residents needed shelter, and the NTSB is investigating.
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All nine people aboard a Learjet 60 were killed when the business jet crashed in a residential neighbourhood in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, 1 November. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crash happened at about 12:50 pm local time near Cresthaven, in the Greenacres area. The jet had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said all nine on board died, and their identities have not been released.
The crash site
Video from the scene showed a crater in the middle of a road, engulfed in flames. Sheriff's officials placed the crash in the area of Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, and both directions of Military Trail were closed until further notice. Governor Ron DeSantis said the debris stretched 'a pretty significant distance'. He called the crash 'cataclysmic' and said, 'It looked like a missile going down.' Duffy called it a 'horrific tragedy'.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths on the ground, and the jet appeared to narrowly miss homes. Residents of a nearby mobile home park were evacuated. County Commissioner Joel Flores said about 600 people needed shelter on Sunday night, and the Red Cross was on standby.
Air traffic control audio and flight-tracking data show the pilot, a woman, reporting 'light, clear ice' that she described as manageable, and moderate turbulence, about two minutes before the crash. She then said she was picking up precipitation and asked to climb by 2,000 feet. The jet then entered a steep descent. The pilot called 'Mayday, mayday' and reported a descent rate of 10,000 feet per minute, later 20,000. Flight-tracking data put the rate as high as 30,000 feet per minute, beyond the aircraft's design limits, and the plane banked sharply to the right before it hit the ground. The call sign she used was 722 Bravo Delta.
The aircraft is registered to a Delaware limited liability company, according to FAA records. The National Weather Service had a flood watch in place for southern Florida, with showers and scattered thunderstorms forecast through Monday.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with support from the FAA, which sent a team to the scene. Officials have not said what caused the crash. The board normally issues a preliminary report within weeks, and the recorded radio calls and flight data will be central to its work.
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