Learjet loses 27,000 feet in 60 seconds before crashing in Florida
All nine people aboard a charter jet from Austin to the Bahamas died when the plane hit a street in Greenacres on Sunday.
By Austin Reed ·
A Learjet 60 plummeted approximately 27,000 feet in sixty seconds before striking the ground in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday. Federal officials confirmed that all nine individuals on board the twin-engine aircraft were killed in the crash.
Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange showed the jet began a steep dive over West Palm Beach shortly before its signal disappeared. Air traffic control recorded distress calls from the cockpit moments before impact. The pilot reported a descent rate of 8,000 feet per minute, then called for a mayday while descending 10,000 feet per minute. The final transmission indicated an overspeed condition with a drop of 20,000 feet per minute, with the pilot stating the aircraft was going to crash into the ground.
The aircraft departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. It struck South Military Trail near Cresthaven Boulevard in Greenacres, a suburban area near a mobile home community. The impact buckled the asphalt and created a smoldering crater. Emergency crews worked through the afternoon to extinguish the fire and secure the site. No people on the ground were killed or injured.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the incident a horrific tragedy in a social media post on Sunday. Weather stations in the area reported active thunderstorms, lightning, and wind gusts near 25 mph around the time of the crash. The jet flew through a severe weather cell just before its descent. Investigators have not yet determined if the atmospheric conditions directly caused the accident.
Military Trail remained closed between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North while first responders assessed the damage. Authorities have not publicly identified the nine victims of the charter flight.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have launched a joint investigation. Federal investigators will stay at the impact site for several days to collect wreckage, review flight recorder data, and analyze the weather conditions present during the flight path.
