Learjet from Austin kills nine in West Palm Beach crash
The business jet departed Texas for the Bahamas but nose-dived into a residential street in Palm Beach County on Sunday.
By Natalia Costa ·
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed on Sunday that all nine people aboard a business jet were killed when the aircraft crashed into a South Florida neighborhood. The Learjet 60, tail number N722BD, struck the ground near a busy roadway in Palm Beach County at 12:50 p.m.
Duffy described the incident as a "horrific tragedy" on the social media platform X. He stated that the Federal Aviation Administration is dispatching a team to assist the National Transportation Safety Board with the investigation into the cause of the crash.
The aircraft departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas with a destination of the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for the Austin airport, identified the plane as a private aircraft but did not release the names of the passengers. He called the event "definitely a tragedy."
Video recorded by motorists captured the jet plunging from the sky. The footage shows the aircraft disintegrating upon impact, creating a large fireball that appeared to miss nearby homes by a narrow margin. Thick black smoke rose from the site, and flames flickered around chunks of pavement that lined the crater left by the crash.
The crash site is located near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in West Palm Beach. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office closed roads in both directions and advised drivers to avoid the area. Emergency responders, including firefighters, rushed to the scene to manage the situation.
It was not immediately determined if any residents or pedestrians on the ground were injured or killed. A woman working in the vicinity reported that power to the area remained out for approximately two hours after the impact. Authorities have not yet disclosed what caused the jet to go down.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze as people gathered nearby, expressing shock that the plane landed only feet from houses and inches from passing vehicles. The investigation into the circumstances of the crash continues, with the FAA and NTSB leading the inquiry.
