Jet nosedives and erupts into fireball near busy roadway in South
Florida. All 9 on board died
[November 02, 2026]
By AMY TAXIN
A business jet carrying nine people nose-dived into a South Florida
neighborhood Sunday and erupted into a giant fireball that appeared to
just miss homes near a busy roadway. Everyone on board was killed, the
nation's transportation secretary said.
Video recorded by people inside their cars captured the terrifying
moment the Bahamas-bound aircraft plunged from the sky before striking
near the Palm Beach County roadway and exploding. 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.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X that the Learjet 60
crashed in Palm Beach County at 12:50 p.m. and called it a “horrific
tragedy.” The Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to
support the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation, he
said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of anyone
on the ground injured or killed.
“It was a cataclysmic plane crash,” DeSantis told reporters at the
scene. “It looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the
side of the road.”
Rain pounded the region on Sunday. A flood watch due to excessive
rainfall was in effect through Monday afternoon, the National Weather
Service said.
The aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in
Texas and was headed to the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation
Administration. Authorities did not immediately say what caused the jet
to go down or who was on it.
The plane 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, the plane entered a steep dive, first 10,000 feet per
minute, then 20,000 feet per minute and up to 30,000 feet per minute,
speeding the plane beyond its design limits, according to air traffic
control recordings and flight tracking data.
A pilot declared an emergency and issued distress calls. The plane
banked sharply to the right before it smashed into the ground.
Minutes before the crash, the pilot reported ice accumulating on the jet
and turbulence that was jolting it by as much as 700 feet (213 meters),
according to air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC.net.
“We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,”
the pilot told controllers.
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Law enforcement respond to a plane crash in Palm Beach County, Fla.,
on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Elias)
But the situation rapidly deteriorated. After encountering
precipitation and requesting to climb, the pilot declared an
emergency as the aircraft began losing altitude at an alarming rate.
“We’re descending 8,000 – mayday, mayday - we’re descending 10,000
feet per minute,” the pilot radioed.
“We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per
minute,” the pilot radioed, before delivering a devastating
acknowledgment of what was about to happen. “We’re going to crash
into the ground.”
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.
Steve Arroyo, an aviation safety expert, said icing and turbulence
could have been factors in the crash and may have caused the plane
to stall while it was cruising at 34,000 feet (10,363 meters).
There are many potential factors and the NTSB will consider all of
them, including how the pilot responded to the icing and turbulence
reported over the radio. But investigators won’t rule anything out
at this early stage, he said.
The NTSB 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.
Palm Beach County authorities were evacuating about 600 people from
a nearby mobile home community while federal officials investigate
the crash. The road will be closed until further notice, county
officials said.
The crash occurred in Greenacres, Florida, according to Palm Beach
County sheriff’s officials. The city of 45,000 people is about 7
miles (11 kilometers) southwest of West Palm Beach.
___
Taxin reported from Santa Ana, California. AP Transportation Writer
Josh Funk contributed from Gretna, Nebraska.
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