Learjet 60 crashes into South Florida home, killing all nine aboard
Federal investigators plan to release initial findings on the fatal Green Acres crash this Monday after the private jet lost altitude due to ice and turbulence.
By Marco Ortega ·
Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board officials are scheduled to hold a news conference in West Palm Beach on Monday to discuss the fatal crash of a business jet. The investigation follows the Sunday afternoon collision that killed all nine people on board a Learjet 60 in the Green Acres neighborhood, located approximately 7 miles southwest of West Palm Beach.
The aircraft departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for the Bahamas. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, identified the plane as a private aircraft but did not release the names of the individuals aboard. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated that there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths among people on the ground.
Air traffic control recordings obtained by LiveATC.net provide a timeline of the flight's final moments. The pilot reported light clear ice and moderate turbulence while the jet was traveling east at 35,000 feet. The pilot noted that turbulence was causing altitude fluctuations of up to 700 feet. Rain was falling heavily in the region at the time.
The pilot requested permission to climb an additional 2,000 feet before declaring an emergency. The aircraft then began a rapid descent. The pilot radioed controllers that the jet was losing 8,000 feet per minute, then 10,000 feet per minute. The pilot later reported an overspeed condition with a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute and stated, "We're going to crash into the ground." The plane banked sharply to the right before impact.
Anthony Blackmon, a resident near the crash site, told NBC affiliate WTVJ that debris struck his house and that the surrounding road was on fire. Blackmon described the scene as shocking, noting that the debris was everywhere. Palm Beach County authorities evacuated approximately 600 people from a nearby mobile home community while emergency crews managed the site. Thick black smoke rose from the fiery crater left by the impact.
DeSantis described the event as a cataclysmic plane crash, comparing the descent to a missile. He noted that the impact left a large crater on the side of the road. Video footage from passersby showed the aircraft plunging from the sky and erupting into flames. Authorities have not yet determined the specific cause of the crash but are analyzing the flight data and physical evidence collected from the site.
