All nine people aboard a Learjet 60 died when the business jet crashed into a residential area of Greenacres, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, authorities confirmed.
The aircraft, traveling from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, came down in Palm Beach County at approximately 12:50 p.m. EST. Air traffic control recordings obtained by LiveATC.net captured the pilot’s increasingly desperate transmissions in the final moments before impact.
The trouble began while the aircraft was cruising eastbound at 35,000 feet. The pilots reported turbulence, icing and precipitation, requesting permission to climb 2,000 feet higher. The situation initially appeared manageable. “We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” the pilot informed controllers.
After flying into heavy rainfall and receiving clearance to climb, the emergency escalated dramatically. The pilot radioed: “We’re descending 8,000 – mayday, mayday – we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute.” The next transmission came seconds later: “We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute.”
The descent rate continued to accelerate, reaching 30,000 feet per minute and pushing the aircraft beyond its design specifications. The pilot’s final words to controllers were: “We’re going to crash into the ground.”
Flight tracking data showed the jet made a sharp right turn and dropped 8,000 feet in a short span. The Federal Aviation Administration stated the aircraft fell 27,000 feet in under a minute.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addressed reporters at a press conference near the crash site in Lake Worth Beach. “It was a big-time tragedy that happened,” he said. “When you see that video, it’s a jarring thing. It was like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere.”
Roads in the area were closed following the crash, and early reports indicated the aircraft erupted into flames near a residential neighborhood. The impact left a crater at the scene.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the incident as a “horrific tragedy.”
Authorities have not released the identities of the nine victims who died aboard the aircraft. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched investigations, with the NTSB taking the lead according to the FAA.
The Learjet 60 is a mid-size business jet manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace, typically configured to carry seven to nine passengers. The aircraft in Sunday’s crash was operating as a private flight when it went down roughly 15 minutes after the pilots first reported weather-related difficulties.
Investigators will examine the role of icing conditions in the emergency, given the pilot’s earlier reports of ice accumulation and the known hazards of severe icing at altitude. The NTSB’s probe will include analysis of the recovered air traffic control recordings, flight data and wreckage from the crash site.