Learjet Crash Near Greenacres Kills All 9 Aboard

Nov 01, 2026 3 min read Palm Beach Local News & Politics New

Quick answer

A Learjet 60 flying from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas crashed into a mobile-home neighborhood near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in Greenacres on Sunday afternoon, November 1, killing all nine people on board, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed. Governor Ron DeSantis said there are no reports of anyone on the ground killed, but about 100 homes were evacuated and 400 to 600 residents displaced by the ground damage. Military Trail remains closed between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive, emergency vehicles only, as the NTSB investigates.

Key facts

The FAA says the aircraft was a Learjet 60 with nine people on board — two crew members and seven passengers, the NTSB said Monday. It departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas and crashed around 12:50 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, into a mobile-home neighborhood near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in Greenacres.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine people aboard were killed. No one on the ground was killed, but officials confirmed Monday that a motorist near the site sustained a leg injury.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said about 100 homes were evacuated and 400 to 600 residents displaced, with the Red Cross coordinating shelter at Greenacres Community Center; the county is considering hotel and PalmTran vouchers.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue worked the scene as a mass casualty incident. Military Trail is closed between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive until further notice — emergency vehicles only — and Commissioner Joel Flores estimates the southbound lanes will not reopen within 30 days.
The aircraft was Learjet 60 N722BD, identified in flight-tracking records and confirmed by an Austin-Bergstrom airport spokesperson and subsequently by an NTSB spokesperson. The NTSB is leading the investigation, with the FAA assisting. At its Monday briefing in West Palm Beach, the NTSB said the crew reported light clear ice and moderate turbulence at 35,000 feet at 12:47 p.m., and the descent and mayday calls began about a minute later; weather is a focus of the investigation and no probable cause has been determined. NTSB Member Tom Chapman said evidence points to an in-flight breakup, with parts of the aircraft separating before it came down, and that maintenance records indicate a cockpit voice recorder was installed, though whether it remains on board is unknown. Victim identities have not yet been released.

Updated Monday, November 2, ~3:02 p.m. — All nine people aboard a Learjet 60 were killed when the jet crashed into a mobile-home neighborhood near Greenacres on Sunday afternoon, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed.

The FAA says the jet departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, and crashed around 12:50 p.m. near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, causing major destruction, fires and scattered debris. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue worked the scene as a mass casualty incident, and residents reported a powerful explosion; the Palm Beach Post reports what appears to be a crater in the roadway.

Officials said Sunday they had received no reports of anyone on the ground killed or injured; on Monday, officials confirmed one ground injury — a motorist near the site sustained a leg injury — while confirming that no one on the ground was killed. The ground damage is displacing hundreds of residents: Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said about 100 homes were evacuated and 400 to 600 residents displaced, with the Red Cross coordinating shelter at Greenacres Community Center and the county considering hotel and PalmTran vouchers, and County Administrator Joe Abruzzo said the county will submit an emergency declaration to the governor. The Palm Beach County School District said John I. Leonard High School, near the crash site on 10th Avenue North, will be closed Monday because of the investigation work. Military Trail is now closed between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane/Alameda Drive until further notice — emergency vehicles only — and officials say the closure may be extended around the crater while the federal investigation runs; Commissioner Flores estimates the southbound lanes will not reopen within 30 days, so drivers should avoid the corridor.

The aircraft was Learjet 60 N722BD, identified in flight-tracking records and confirmed by an Austin-Bergstrom airport spokesperson and subsequently by an NTSB spokesperson. The NTSB is leading the investigation, with the FAA assisting. At its Monday briefing at the Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center in West Palm Beach, investigators said the jet departed Austin at 10:37 a.m.; at 12:47 p.m. the crew reported light clear ice and moderate turbulence at 35,000 feet and was cleared to climb to 37,000 feet, and the descent and mayday calls began about a minute later, with overspeed calls during the descent. Weather is a focus of the investigation, and no probable cause has been determined. Chapman said evidence points to an in-flight breakup, with parts of the aircraft separating before impact, and that maintenance records indicate a cockpit voice recorder was installed — investigators are hopeful of recovering it. The flight operated under Part 135 charter rules, about 20 investigators are working the scene, and water in the crater is complicating recovery. Victim identities have not yet been released.

This is a developing story. South Florida Malayalees (SFM) will update this page as the NTSB and county officials confirm further details.