A private business jet carrying nine people crashed into a South Florida neighbourhood in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, on Sunday, November 1, 2026, bursting into a fireball and leaving a large crater near a busy roadway.
Authorities have confirmed that all nine individuals on board were killed.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the total fatalities, calling the crash a “horrific tragedy”.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who addressed the media from the scene, confirmed there were no immediate reports of ground casualties.
“It was a cataclysmic plane crash,” Governor DeSantis stated. “It looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road”.
Sudden descent and emergency distress call
The aircraft—a Bombardier Learjet 60 registered to a Delaware corporation—had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was en route to the Bahamas.
Flight tracking logs and air traffic control audio from LiveATC.net revealed that while cruising at 35,000 feet, the flight crew reported light ice, precipitation, and moderate turbulence, requesting permission to climb to 37,000 feet.
Shortly after receiving clearance, the aircraft lost stability and entered a nose-dive descent.
Air traffic recordings captured the pilot declaring an emergency as the aircraft surpassed structural speed limits, descending at rates exceeding 20,000 to 30,000 feet per minute before the final impact.
Federal investigation underway
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have deployed specialised investigators to the site to examine weather conditions, aircraft maintenance records, and flight recorder data to establish the precise cause of the crash.
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