9 killed as Learjet crashes near Palm Beach County mobile home park, forcing about 600 from their homes
Editorial illustration — Press Pass USAAll nine people aboard a Bahamas-bound Learjet 60 were killed Sunday afternoon, November 1, 2026, when the jet crashed and erupted in flames in a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, near the entrance to a mobile home community, federal officials said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the jet crashed around 12:50 p.m. local time near Cresthaven, in the Greenacres area, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, along Military Trail. The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, the FAA said. The aircraft's tail number was N722BD, according to the Associated Press.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine people aboard died, calling the crash a "horrific tragedy." Officials had not identified the nine people aboard or said how many were passengers and how many were crew, CNN reported.
The crash left a large crater by the road and a significant debris field, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at the scene, describing the impact as "cataclysmic." There were no immediate reports of anyone on the ground being killed or injured, DeSantis and local officials said — but the wreckage blocked the entrance to the neighboring mobile home community, forcing about 600 residents from their homes.
"We have about 600 people that we have to make sure that they have shelter tonight, food," Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said. The county relocated residents to two shelters, and Military Trail was closed in the area until further notice.
Air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC.net and transcribed by CNN and the Associated Press show the crew reporting moderate turbulence, ice accumulation and precipitation while flying at about 35,000 feet, and asking to climb. The recordings describe a rapid descent, with the pilot warning in a final transmission, "We're going to crash into the ground." The cause of the crash has not been determined, and the recordings alone do not establish why the jet lost control.
Forecasters reported heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in the area at the time of the crash, and investigators are expected to examine the wreckage, flight data and weather conditions. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with support from the FAA; NTSB investigators were due at the site Sunday and Monday, with a news conference planned for Monday.
It is the second-deadliest crash in the United States this year, according to National Transportation Safety Board records cited by CNN, after a skydiving plane crash in Butler, Missouri, in June that killed 12 people. It is also the worst crash involving a Learjet 60, according to data from the Flight Safety Foundation cited by CNN.
Sources: CNN (Nov. 1, 2026); USA Today (Nov. 1, 2026); Associated Press via NBC 6 South Florida and The Guardian (Nov. 1, 2026); Federal Aviation Administration accident statement (Nov. 1, 2026).
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