Learjet Fireball Kills Nine in Florida
The aircraft crashed near Military Trail in Palm Beach County after reporting ice and turbulence.
By Giulia Donovan ·
Nine people died when a private jet crashed and burned in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon.
The Learjet 60 departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport for the Bahamas. FAA records indicate the aircraft is registered to a Delaware LLC and is available for charter. Officials identified the crash as the second deadliest in the United States this year. The only worse accident occurred in June in Butler, Missouri, when a skydiving plane killed 12 people.
The pilot reported ice accumulation and an outside air temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius minutes before the crash. The pilot also described moderate turbulence that bounced the plane by up to 700 feet. After requesting to climb, the pilot declared an emergency. A recording from LiveATC.net captured the pilot stating, “We’re descending 8,000, mayday, mayday - we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute.” The pilot added, “We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute … We’re going to crash into the ground.”
Tracking data from ADS-B Exchange shows the jet lost 27,000 feet in one minute before the signal ended. The aircraft struck the ground near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. Video from WPBF shows the road buckled into a crater at the impact site. Scattered storms were present in the area, and the plane passed through a stronger storm cell just before the descent. Officials have not yet determined if the weather contributed to the crash.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the incident a “horrific tragedy.” The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. The crash site is located about four miles south of the West Palm Beach airport. That airport was renamed for President Donald Trump earlier this year.
Trump was in West Palm Beach earlier on Sunday. He departed the airport on Air Force One more than an hour before the jet crashed. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office closed all northbound and southbound lanes of Military Trail until further notice. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes to avoid the area.
