Flight data show a steep dive after reports of icing and turbulence

A Learjet 60 business jet carrying nine people nose-dived into a South Florida neighborhood on November 1, 2026, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said all nine people aboard were killed. Duffy reported that the aircraft crashed in Palm Beach County at 12:50 p.m. The jet struck near a busy Palm Beach County roadway and erupted into a giant fireball that appeared to just miss nearby homes.

Video recorded by people inside their cars captured the Bahamas-bound aircraft plunging from the sky before it struck near the Palm Beach County roadway and exploded. Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining a crater as people milled about, expressing shock that it landed only feet from homes and inches from passing vehicles. Thick black smoke engulfed the crash site.

In a post on X, Duffy called the crash a “horrific tragedy” and said the Federal Aviation Administration was sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of anyone on the ground injured or killed. At the scene, DeSantis said, “It was a cataclysmic plane crash,” and, “It looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road.”

The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to the Bahamas. Authorities had not immediately said what caused the jet to go down or who was on it. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said the jet was a private aircraft. He could not immediately provide details about who was on the flight.

The jet was heading east at 35,000 feet, about 11 kilometers, when pilots reported turbulence, icing and precipitation and requested to climb another 2,000 feet, about 610 meters. Moments later, it entered a steep dive, descending first at 10,000 feet per minute, then 20,000 feet per minute and up to 30,000 feet per minute, according to air traffic control recordings and flight-tracking data. The descent took the aircraft beyond its design limits. A pilot declared an emergency and issued distress calls, and the jet banked sharply to the right before striking the ground.

Minutes before the crash, the pilot reported ice accumulating on the jet and turbulence jolting it by as much as 700 feet, or 213 meters, according to air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC.net. The recording included the pilot’s assessment: “We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” the pilot told controllers. The situation rapidly deteriorated after the aircraft encountered precipitation and requested to climb, and the pilot declared an emergency as the jet began losing altitude rapidly.

The pilot radioed, “We’re descending 8,000 – mayday, mayday - we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” then said, “We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute,” and, “We’re going to crash into the ground.”

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said icing and turbulence could have been factors and may have caused the plane to stall while it was cruising at 34,000 feet, or 10,363 meters. He said there were many potential factors and that the National Transportation Safety Board would consider all of them, including how the pilot responded to the icing and turbulence reported over the radio. Investigators would not rule anything out at that early stage, Arroyo said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators were expected to arrive at the crash site on Sunday and Monday. A media briefing was scheduled for Monday in West Palm Beach.

Palm Beach County authorities were evacuating about 600 people from a nearby mobile home community while federal officials investigated the crash. The road was to remain closed until further notice, county officials said.

Rain pounded the region on Sunday, and the National Weather Service said a flood watch due to excessive rainfall was in effect through Monday afternoon. The crash occurred in Greenacres, Florida, according to Palm Beach County sheriff’s officials. The city of 45,000 people is about 7 miles, or 11 kilometers, southwest of West Palm Beach.

Amy Taxin reported from Santa Ana, California. AP Transportation Writer Josh Funk contributed from Gretna, Nebraska.