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Learjet crash in Florida neighbourhood kills all 9 on board

Published

The private jet left Austin, Texas, for the Bahamas and came down in a residential area of Palm Beach County on Sunday afternoon. About 600 people were evacuated, and the National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation.

The Learjet 60 took off from Austin and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. The crash site is near Lake Worth Beach. The 600 evacuated residents went to two shelters in the county.

An audio recording from the Miami air traffic control centre, posted on LiveATC, has the cockpit reporting mayday while the jet descended at 10 000 feet per minute. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 said the descent rate passed 32000 feet per minute at one point. The recording puts 35 seconds between the first mayday and the last cockpit transmission.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke at a press conference near the site. He said: "It was like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere." County Commissioner Joel Flores described a "massive crater" at the site.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash a horrific tragedy. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a statement on the crash.

Key facts

Who
Ron DeSantis (Florida Governor); Sean Duffy (Transportation Secretary); Joel Flores (Palm Beach County Commissioner); National Transportation Safety Board (investigating agency)
What
A private Learjet taking off from Austin, Texas, bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, crashed into a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people on board. About 600 people were evacuated from the area, and the NTSB has launched an investigation.
When
1 November 2026
Where
Palm Beach County, Florida, Austin
Status
Reported

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