Nine people were on board the Learjet 60 that crashed near Military Trail in Greenacres around 12:50 PM, according to the FAA. WPTV reports officials have not confirmed the condition of those on board and say they have no reports of anyone on the ground being killed or injured.
ABC News reports the 22-year-old jet dove about 350 feet per second, falling from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in a little over a minute. It departed Austin, Texas, headed for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
Gov. DeSantis described the crash as “cataclysmic,” saying the aircraft came down “like a missile” and left a large crater on Military Trail, with debris stretching a significant distance.
About 600 people in a nearby mobile home community are expected to be relocated during the investigation. Two shelters are on standby, and Palm Tran is ready to transport residents.
The NTSB will lead the investigation.
Dashcam image: Aki Kuusisto
N722BD is a Bombardier Learjet 60 midsize business jet (Serial No. 60-271) owned by LR60271 LLC.
Bombardier Learjet 60 aircraft type. Source: Air Charter Service
Flight Status & Public Tracking
- Public Tracking Restrictions: The owner/operator has requested to block N722BD from public tracking feeds on standard platforms such as FlightAware.
- Recent Flight Activity: Flightradar24 shows recent operations connecting regional hubs, including flights between Austin (AUS), North Eleuthera (ELH), Little Rock (LIT), Washington Dulles (IAD), Cleveland (CLE), and Las Vegas (LAS).
Aircraft Overview
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Aircraft Model | Bombardier Learjet 60 |
| ICAO Code | LJ60 |
| Engines | 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305A |
| Capacity | Up to 7–8 passengers |
| Home Base / Hub | Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE) |
| Registered Owner | LR60271 LLC (Wilmington, DE) |
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched an investigation into the fatal crash of Learjet 60 (N722BD, Serial No. 60-271) on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Flight & Incident Overview
- Route: The aircraft departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) in Texas en route to North Eleuthera Airport (ELH) in the Bahamas.
- Crash Location: At approximately 12:49 p.m. EST, the aircraft plunged into an unincorporated area near Greenacres / Lake Worth Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida, impacting near Military Trail.
- Occupants: All 9 people on board (2 flight crew and 7 passengers) were killed.
Sequence of Events & Cockpit Communications
Air traffic control (ATC) audio recordings and tracking data from Flightradar24 / ADS-B Exchange detail the aircraft’s rapid descent from cruise altitude:
- Weather & Flight Conditions: While flying at 35,000 feet, the crew contacted ATC, reporting light clear icing and moderate turbulence.
- Climb Request: The crew requested a climb to 37,000 feet to escape precipitation and icing conditions.
- Loss of Control & Mayday: Shortly after receiving clearance to climb, the crew declared a Mayday, reporting that the aircraft had entered a high-rate uncontrolled descent in an overspeed condition.
- Extreme Vertical Rate: ADS-B tracking data logged a loss of over 26,000 feet of altitude in under one minute, reaching descent rates in excess of 20,000 to 32,000 feet per minute before radar contact was lost at 8,750 feet.
Focus of the NTSB Investigation
The NTSB dispatched a full Go-Team to Palm Beach County, with an initial on-site briefing set for Monday. Key technical priorities for the investigation include:
- Icing & Aerodynamic Degradation: Determining whether atmospheric icing degraded control surface authority or caused asymmetrical lift loss leading to a spiral or aerodynamic stall.
- Flight Data Recorders: Recovering and extracting data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR).
- Structural & Mechanical Integrity: Assessing ground debris and radar tracks to verify whether an in-flight structural break-up occurred during the high-speed descent.
- Operational & Maintenance Records: Reviewing Part 135 operator logs, airworthiness compliance, maintenance histories, and crew training/experience records.
(Note: NTSB preliminary reports are typically issued within 15 to 30 days of an incident, while full probable-cause determination reports take 12 to 24 months to complete.)