PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL, Nov. 1, 2026 — A Learjet 60 crashed in a neighborhood near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County at 12:50 p.m. Sunday, killing all nine people on board, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X. He called it "a horrific tragedy."
The aircraft departed from Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas, Duffy said. The Federal Aviation Administration told NBC News the flight left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport for North Eleuthera Airport. The FAA told ABC News the plane dropped from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in a little over a minute before it hit the ground.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said Military Trail between Cresthaven and 10th Avenue N was "closed to all traffic," adding: "Avoid the area. This will be an extended incident."
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said the crash "caused significant debris, damage to surrounding infrastructure, and prompted road closures and evacuations." Gov. Ron DeSantis joined local officials at a news conference. He told reporters there were no reports of anyone on the ground being hurt or killed, NBC News reported.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending a go-team to investigate. Investigators are arriving at the site Sunday and Monday morning, and the board will hold a media briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday, with the time and place still to be announced. The FAA is also investigating, according to ABC News.
The people on board have not been identified. No cause has been announced.
Not yet confirmed by officials: the plane's tail number, which flight-tracking data and aviation outlets list as N722BD, and the exact city or community of the crash site. The NTSB said Lake Worth Beach, while other reports say Greenacres.
Video: Charlie Triantafilou / Launchpad Digital. Sources: @SecDuffy, @NTSB_Newsroom, @PBCFR and @PBCountySheriff on X, Nov. 1, 2026. FAA details as reported by NBC News and ABC News.
Additional reporting: WFLA News Channel 8.
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