A private Learjet crashed in the Cresthaven neighborhood of Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, claiming all nine occupants.
The Learjet 60 business jet nose‑dived into the South Florida neighborhood and exploded.
Videos circulating on social media, recorded by people in their vehicles, show the plane making a loud whooshing sound as it rapidly descends, hitting the side of a road and erupting into a large fireball.
The plane’s descent in the footage resembled what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described as “a missile going down.”
A thick plume of black and gray smoke rose among houses, which were narrowly missed.
The crash left a crater in the road, with flames flickering around it.
What do we know about the Florida plane crash?
The aircraft had departed from Austin‑Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was en route to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, according to the FAA.
While cruising at 35,000 ft (≈10,660 m) heading east, the pilots reported turbulence, icing and precipitation and requested to climb another 2,000 ft (≈610 m).
Moments later the jet entered a steep dive, initially descending at 10,000 ft/min, then accelerating to 20,000 ft/min and eventually exceeding 30,000 ft/min—well beyond the aircraft’s design limits, according to air‑traffic‑control recordings and flight‑track data.
Last words from the cockpit — ‘We are out of time’
LiveATC, which streams live air‑traffic‑control communications, captured the harrowing final moments of the crash in an audio recording from a Miami ARTCC.
A voice from the cockpit is heard saying, “Mayday, mayday, we are descending 10,000 feet per minute.”
Seconds later the pilot declares an “emergency,” reporting a descent of 20,000 feet per minute.
“We’re going to crash into the ground,” the voice says, adding that the descent was at 22,000 feet and the plane was banking 60 degrees.
A scream is heard before the final words — “We are out of time.”
Investigation underway
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the crash occurred at 12:50 p.m. local time and described the incident as a “horrific tragedy.”
The cause of the crash and the identities of those aboard remain unknown at this time.
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a probe into the incident.
No injuries or fatalities among people on the ground have been reported.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said at a press briefing that roughly 600 residents were being evacuated and relocated to two shelters.
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