Nine Killed in Learjet Crash Near Florida Homes

The Learjet went down around 12:50 p.m. near Military Trail and Cresthaven Boulevard in Palm Beach County, close to a mobile home community. It had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and was traveling toward North Eleuthera, part of the Bahamas. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said all nine people on board were killed.

The impact left a crater and scattered debris across the area, officials said. Governor Ron DeSantis described the crash as catastrophic and said there were no reports of people on the ground being injured. Roughly 600 residents from the nearby community were evacuated, and county officials worked to arrange shelter and food. Military Trail was closed in both directions.

Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot reporting ice and turbulence before declaring an emergency and describing a rapid descent. Flight-tracking data showed the jet lost about 27,000 feet in roughly a minute. Storms were in the area, but officials have not established whether weather contributed to the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with support from the Federal Aviation Administration. The NTSB was expected to send investigators to the scene and hold a news conference on November 2. The identities of those killed had not been released.