Jet crashes near busy roadway

A business jet carrying nine people nosedived into a South Florida neighborhood on Sunday and erupted into a giant fireball. Everyone on board was killed, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

The aircraft and its route

The Learjet sixty departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to the Bahamas. It crashed in Palm Beach County at twelve fifty pm on November first, twenty twenty-six.

Narrow miss for homes and vehicles

Video showed the aircraft plunged from the sky before striking near a Palm Beach County roadway and exploding. The crash landed only feet from homes and inches from passing vehicles.

Governor describes the scene

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of anyone on the ground injured or killed. He told reporters the crash looked like a missile going down and left a big crater.

“It looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road.”

Plane was at cruising altitude

The aircraft was heading east at thirty five thousand feet when pilots reported turbulence, icing and precipitation. They requested to climb another two thousand feet.

Rapid descent begins

Moments after requesting to climb, the plane entered a steep dive. It descended first at ten thousand feet per minute, then twenty thousand, then up to thirty thousand feet per minute.

Pilot reports ice accumulation

Minutes before the crash, the pilot reported ice accumulating on the jet and turbulence jolting it by as much as seven hundred feet. The pilot said the ice was light and clear and manageable.

“We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence.”

Situation deteriorates rapidly

After encountering precipitation and requesting to climb, the pilot declared an emergency as the aircraft began losing altitude at an alarming rate. The descent accelerated dramatically.

Pilot's distress calls

The pilot radioed air traffic control with escalating urgency. First reporting descending eight thousand feet per minute, then ten thousand, then twenty thousand feet per minute.

“We're descending 8,000, mayday, mayday - we're descending 10,000 feet per minute.”

Pilot's final words

As the aircraft entered an overspeed condition descending at twenty thousand feet per minute, the pilot delivered a devastating acknowledgment. He radioed that they were going to crash into the ground.

“We're going to crash into the ground.”

Plane exceeded design limits

The aircraft descended at speeds up to thirty thousand feet per minute, exceeding its design limits. A pilot declared an emergency and issued distress calls before the plane banked sharply right.

Possible causes identified

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said icing and turbulence could have been factors in the crash. They may have caused the plane to stall while cruising at thirty four thousand feet.

Investigation underway

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

FAA sends support team

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X that the crash was a horrific tragedy. The Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation.

Weather conditions at crash site

Rain pounded the region on Sunday. A flood watch due to excessive rainfall was in effect through Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Evacuation and road closure

Palm Beach County authorities evacuated about six hundred people from a nearby mobile home community while federal officials investigate. The road will be closed until further notice, county officials said.

Crash location identified

The crash occurred in Greenacres, Florida, according to Palm Beach County sheriff's officials. The city of forty five thousand people is about seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach.