Business Fortune: Learjet 60 Crash in Palm Beach County

Learjet 60 Crash in Palm Beach County Kills All 9 Aboard

A Learjet 60 bound for the Bahamas went down on Military Trail Sunday and the NTSB is investigating.

A Learjet 60 bound for the Bahamas crashed along Military Trail in Palm Beach County on Sunday, killing all nine people aboard, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed.

At a glance: The twin-engine jet went down near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday. Nobody aboard survived. The NTSB will lead the investigation and no cause has been determined.

What happened to the Learjet 60 in Palm Beach County?

The jet left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, the FAA said. It never arrived. In a little over a minute, the 22-year-old aircraft fell from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet before striking the ground near Cresthaven.

Video posted online shows the jet hitting nose-first and erupting in flames. The impact left a crater beside a shopping center. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue shut Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North and told drivers to avoid the area, calling it an extended incident. Sheriff's deputies closed both directions of the road.

Was anyone on the ground hurt?

Not according to anything officials had reported by Sunday's news conference. Gov. Ron DeSantis toured the scene, called the crash cataclysmic and said the jet looked "like a missile going down." Debris scattered across a wide area.

About 600 residents of a nearby mobile home community are being relocated while the investigation continues, and shelters have opened. Military Trail between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive stays closed until further notice. A county commissioner warned that parts of the road could remain shut for a long stretch and county officials said the timeline also hinges on the federal investigation.

Who is investigating the Learjet 60 crash?

The National Transportation Safety Board launched a go-team and is running the inquiry, while the FAA sends its own team to support it. NTSB investigators are due at the site Sunday and Monday and the agency, not local officials, will release updates on the probe. A media briefing is set for Monday in West Palm Beach. Duffy called the crash a "horrific tragedy." The FAA says its details are preliminary and could change.

More to Know

The aircraft was a 22-year-old twin-engine Learjet 60.

It departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

Agencies describe the location differently. The FAA says near Cresthaven, the NTSB says Lake Worth Beach, and other officials place it near Greenacres.

Scattered storms were in the area at the time of the crash, CNN reported.

No cause has been determined.

Nine lives ended in under two minutes of descent and a busy Palm Beach County road now sits behind a crater and a crime-scene perimeter. Hundreds of nearby residents are displaced. Business Fortune believes the NTSB's findings will take time, but its Monday briefing should add the first official detail on the Learjet 60 and the flight's final minutes.

FAQs

What happened in the Palm Beach County Learjet crash?
A Learjet 60 crashed near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North around 12:50 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, and all nine people aboard died.
How many people died in the Learjet 60 crash?
All nine on board were killed, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. No deaths or injuries on the ground had been reported at Sunday's news conference.
Where was the Learjet 60 flying from and to?
The FAA says it left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
What caused the Palm Beach County plane crash?
No cause has been determined. The NTSB is leading the investigation with FAA support.
Is Military Trail still closed after the crash?
Yes. Military Trail between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive is closed until further notice and county officials say the timeline depends on the federal investigation.