A Learjet 60 aircraft carrying nine people experienced a fatal crash in Palm Beach County, Florida, shortly before 1 p.m. on Sunday. Officials confirmed that all nine individuals aboard the private jet died during the incident, which occurred near a mobile home park in Cresthaven. It’s really a tragic way to see people pass away,” DeSantis said, and to have those people on board. Police: Man killed in rollover crash on I-96 in Livingston County. 1 dead, 5 injured after crash on Davison Freeway in Detroit.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy verified the loss of life on X, urging the public to keep the families of the victims in their thoughts. During a subsequent news conference, Governor Ron DeSantis noted that while the impact was catastrophic, no injuries occurred among residents on the ground. No one on the ground was injured, Gov. Please join me in praying for the families and loved ones of those we lost,” Duffy wrote. No injuries reported, small plane rolls into grass after landing at Dallas Love Field.
Approximately 600 people were evacuated from the immediate vicinity of the crash site as emergency crews responded. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the flight originated from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was en route to the Bahamas at the time of the disaster.
Audio recordings from air traffic control captured the pilot’s final moments, during which they reported a rapid descent of 10,000 feet per minute. The pilot declared an emergency, describing an overspeed condition where the aircraft was plunging at 20,000 feet per minute, and told the tower, “We’re gonna crash… We’re out of time.” The pilot can be heard saying they were descending 10,000 feet per minute, according to the audio on LiveATC.net.
Governor DeSantis likened the scene to a missile impact, noting the massive explosion and widespread debris left in the wake of the crash. Local dashboard cameras captured the moment the aircraft plunged toward the ground. Debris going everywhere, it was like a missile coming down and a massive explosion.
The National Transportation Safety Board has mobilized a go-team to lead an investigation, with personnel expected to arrive on-site by Monday morning. The precise cause of the malfunction remains under active investigation. Sarah Ploss contributed to this report.
Austin-Bergstrom airport spokesperson Jim Reynolds confirmed that the plane was a private vessel but did not immediately release details regarding the identities or relationships of the passengers. Details about what may have caused the crash had not yet been shared.
In response to the wreckage, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office enforced road closures, blocking both northbound and southbound traffic on Military Trail near Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North until further notice.
This incident follows a string of aviation and transport accidents across the country, including recent crashes in Michigan, Oregon, and Texas, highlighting a difficult period for local transit safety. 2 helicopters collide southeast of McMinnville in Oregon, killing 3.
