Pilot's Final Words Reveal Learjet's Plunge

Nine people died when a private jet crashed and burst into flames in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon.

The Learjet 60 was traveling from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to the Bahamas. Federal Aviation Administration records show the aircraft is registered to a Delaware LLC and listed for charter. It was the second deadliest crash in the United States this year, behind a June incident in Butler, Missouri, that killed twelve people.

Air traffic control recordings reveal the pilot reported light ice and moderate turbulence minutes before the accident. The pilot stated the plane was bouncing by up to 700 feet in a -47 degrees Celsius environment. After requesting to climb, the pilot declared an emergency, stating the jet was descending at 10,000 feet per minute before accelerating to 20,000 feet per minute.

Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange shows the aircraft dropped 27,000 feet in a single minute before its signal disappeared. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the event a horrific tragedy. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation.

The crash occurred near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. Video from WPBF shows the road buckled into a crater where the plane impacted. All lanes of the road remain closed while officials clear the scene.

The site is approximately four miles south of the West Palm Beach airport, which was renamed for President Donald Trump earlier this year. Trump departed the airport on Air Force One more than one hour before the crash. Scattered storms were present in the area, and the plane passed through a stronger storm cell shortly before its rapid descent, though the weather’s role in the accident remains unclear.