Nine killed in Learjet crash in Florida en route to Bahamas

Nine people were killed Sunday afternoon when a private Learjet 60 traveling from Texas to the Bahamas crashed and burst into flames near Greenacres, Florida.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the fatalities in a post on X, formerly Twitter, shortly after the crash, which occurred around 12:50 p.m. near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. The victims had not been identified as of Sunday afternoon.

The aircraft was en route from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who visited the crash site Sunday afternoon, described the impact as severe, saying the aircraft left significant debris and a large crater along the roadway.

"It looked like a missile going down," DeSantis said during a news conference near the scene. "There is a big crater on the side of the road."

He added that no injuries had been reported on the ground.

DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier arrived in the area shortly after the crash. Both had been attending a campaign rally in West Palm Beach. The governor also praised first responders for their quick response.

The crash occurred near the only entrance to Cresthaven, a mobile home community where approximately 600 residents were being evacuated, according to Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores. Evacuees were directed to the Greenacres Community Center, with Palm Tran buses available to transport residents.

The crash is the deadliest aviation accident in Palm Beach County. In 1943, 14 service members died during takeoff when the county's airport operated as Morrison Field.

The Learjet 60, tail number N722BD, was built in 2004 and registered to a Delaware limited liability company, according to FAA records. The aircraft was also listed for charter online.

Flight-tracking data from ADS-B Exchange showed the aircraft descending approximately 27,000 feet in about one minute before tracking information stopped.

Radar Analysis reported that the aircraft encountered a storm core before climbing, then entered a spiraling descent and crashed approximately 76 seconds later. Scattered storms were reported in the area at the time.

An air traffic control recording captured by LiveATC.net also revealed that the pilot reported ice accumulation and moderate turbulence before declaring an emergency.

The pilot initially reported light, clear ice accumulation and turbulence that was causing the aircraft to bounce by as much as 700 feet. The aircraft was operating in temperatures of approximately minus 47 degrees Celsius.

"We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence," the pilot told the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center.

Moments later, after reporting precipitation and requesting to climb, the pilot declared an emergency.

"We're descending 8,000 — mayday, mayday — we're descending 10,000 feet per minute," the pilot said, according to the recording. "We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute ... We're going to crash into the ground."

Federal authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.