A private Learjet 60 crashed into a residential neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft went down near the Cresthaven/Greenacres area—roughly six to nine miles from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort—around 12:50 p.m. EST on November 1, 2026.
The jet, registered N722BD and operated by a Delaware-based company (LR60271 LLC), had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. Flight data and air traffic control recordings show the crew reported moderate turbulence, icing, and precipitation while cruising eastbound near 35,000 feet. They requested a climb, then quickly declared an emergency as the plane entered a steep, uncontrolled descent.
Descent rates accelerated from roughly 10,000 feet per minute to more than 20,000—and at points exceeding 30,000 feet per minute—with the crew reporting an overspeed condition. In the final moments, a voice was heard saying, “We’re going to crash into the ground.” The aircraft struck nearly vertically near the intersection of Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, creating a large crater in the roadway, a massive fireball, and widespread debris. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the impact as looking “like a missile going down” and called it a “cataclysmic” crash. No one on the ground was injured or killed.
The crash damaged infrastructure, including water lines and power systems, and forced the evacuation of about 600 residents from a nearby mobile-home community. Officials said the road could remain closed for at least 30 days. Thunderstorms and heavy rain were in the area at the time.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the nine fatalities and called the incident a “horrific tragedy.” The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation; the cause remains unknown. Trump had been at Mar-a-Lago earlier that morning and departed on Air Force One roughly an hour before the crash.
Online speculation that air-defense systems around Mar-a-Lago shot down the jet has been contradicted by flight data: the aircraft stayed on its eastbound Bahamas routing and lost control after the icing and turbulence reports, turning right (away from the resort).
The identities of those on board have not yet been released. This is the second-deadliest U.S. aviation accident of 2026 so far, according to early NTSB-related reporting.
SOURCES:
Nine killed in fiery Florida Learjet crash in West Palm Beach County
Plane crash near Greenacres killed all nine people aboard, U.S. says
‘Like a missile.’ Officials probe Florida plane crash that killed 9
Pilot’s mayday call released as nine killed in Florida private jet crash – Yahoo News UK
Fact check: Did the plane that crashed near Mar-a-Lago change course and head for Trump’s estate? · What the Fact
‘We’re out of time’: Cockpit audio from final moments of private jet that crashed near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, killing all 9 aboard – The Economic Times
Private jet carrying 9 crashes near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida | World News – Business Standard
High schooler proving sky is not the limit, earns pilot’s license before driver’s license
Secret Service deploys missile defense systems at Mar-a-Lago and Trump airport in Florida over ‘heightened threat environment’
