Learjet carrying nine crashes in Florida, killing all on board

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed on Sunday that all nine individuals aboard a business jet have died. The aircraft, a Learjet 60 with tail number N722BD, crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, at 12:50 p.m. local time. Duffy described the incident as a horrific tragedy in a post on X.

The jet originated at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was scheduled to fly to the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for the Austin airport, identified the plane as a private aircraft. He stated that the event was definitely a tragedy but could not immediately provide details on the identities of those on board.

Video footage taken by drivers nearby captured the aircraft plunging from the sky before striking the ground. The impact occurred near a busy roadway at the intersection of Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. The jet erupted into a fireball, sending thick black smoke into the air. The wreckage came to rest near a crater, with flames flickering around chunks of pavement.

Witnesses reported that the crash site was located feet from residential homes and inches from passing vehicles. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office closed roads in both directions to manage traffic. Firefighters and other emergency personnel rushed to the scene to contain the fire and secure the area. A woman working nearby reported that electricity in the neighborhood had been out for approximately two hours following the impact.

The Federal Aviation Administration is sending a team to assist the National Transportation Safety Board in investigating the cause of the crash. It was not immediately known if anyone on the ground was injured or killed. Authorities have not yet determined what mechanical or external factors caused the jet to go down. The circumstances of the descent remain under active investigation.

The crash disrupted the local infrastructure, prompting the closure of major thoroughfares. The FAA’s involvement signals a standard protocol for commercial and private aviation accidents. The N722BD aircraft is now the focus of a joint federal inquiry into the sequence of events leading to the fatal descent.