On a Sunday just after midday, a private Learjet 60 bound from Austin for the Bahamas came down in a residential corner of Greenacres, Florida, a short distance from the estate where Donald Trump keeps Mar-a-Lago. All nine people aboard were killed, and the jet's sudden fall into ordinary streets reminds us how quickly a journey can become a place where neighbours stand watching smoke rise. Why the aircraft lost so much altitude in so little time remains unknown, and that question now belongs to investigators who will try to turn a few frightening minutes into understanding.
Nine Killed as Private Learjet Crashes in Greenacres Near Mar-a-Lago, Florida
All nine people aboard the Learjet 60 died after it plummeted into a residential neighbourhood, and the crash also knocked down electricity cables.
Roughly 27,000 feet in about a minute, then gone from the tracking screens
Mark
Nine people died, and the crash was near Mar-a-Lago. Why does that detail keep appearing?
Mimi
It's a location marker. The site is about six miles from the estate, but the crash itself was in a Greenacres neighbourhood near a mobile home park.
Mark
What do we know about the final minutes?
Mimi
The crew reported turbulence, ice and bad weather at 35,000 feet, then declared an emergency. The pilot said they were in an overspeed condition descending at 20,000 feet per minute.
Luke
Careful, though. That audio comes via a report by the Express, which the Star is relaying. It's attributed, not independently confirmed here.
Mark
And the 27,000-foot drop in a minute?
Luke
That's from flight-tracking data, and it's a rough figure. Flightradar24 itself describes a brief climb and then a steep right-hand descent.
Mimi
The ground impact matters too. The jet hit a tree and brought down power lines, and witnesses said it sounded like a missile strike.
Mark
So what caused it?
Luke
Nobody knows yet. The weather and icing are what the crew described, not a finding. The NTSB is leading the investigation, and only it can say.
Mark
Do we know who was aboard?
Luke
No. The Austin airport spokesman couldn't share passenger information, and the reporting doesn't name anyone.
Le Pouls
- A private jet carrying nine people dropped roughly 27,000 feet in about a minute before vanishing from tracking screens over Florida.
- The crew's final radio words spoke of icing, turbulence and an overspeed condition, and then of crashing into the ground.
- The jet struck a tree and brought down power lines, and a fireball and black smoke rose over a residential neighbourhood near Military Trail.
- Police closed the road in both directions as witnesses described a sound like a missile strike and residents gathered at the edge of the wreckage.
- The FAA and the NTSB have opened investigations, with the NTSB leading, and the cause of the descent has yet to be established.
On a Sunday just after midday, a private Learjet 60 bound from Austin for the Bahamas came down in a residential corner of Greenacres, Florida, a short distance from the estate where Donald Trump keeps Mar-a-Lago. All nine people aboard were killed, and the jet's sudden fall into ordinary streets reminds us how quickly a journey can become a place where neighbours stand watching smoke rise. Why the aircraft lost so much altitude in so little time remains unknown, and that question now belongs to investigators who will try to turn a few frightening minutes into understanding.
A Learjet 60 came down in a residential neighbourhood in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, on Sunday around 12.50pm Eastern time. It had left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas, and all nine people on board died. The crash site lies near a mobile home park, about six miles from Mar-a-Lago.
Tracking data showed the jet cruising at 41,000 feet before it began a descent near Naples. Within moments it briefly climbed, then plunged in a steep right-hand dive, losing around 27,000 feet in a minute before disappearing from tracking systems. Audio from the cockpit captured the crew reporting turbulence, ice and bad weather, then declaring an emergency as the aircraft fell at a dangerous rate.
On the ground, the jet struck a tree and brought down electricity cables. Dashcam footage shows the nosedive before the aircraft burst into a fireball. Sheriff's deputies closed Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, while witnesses described the impact as sounding like a missile strike.
The passengers have not yet been named. Officials at the airport called it a tragedy, and the cause of the descent remains unknown. The FAA and the NTSB are investigating, and the NTSB's findings on the descent and the role of the weather and icing will be what the community and families await.
A Learjet 60 came down in a residential neighbourhood in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, Florida, at about 12.50pm Eastern time on Sunday. All nine people aboard died. The crash site lies near a mobile home park, roughly six miles from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, and officials confirmed the time and location of the crash.
The jet had left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. Flightradar24 data showed it reaching a cruising altitude of 41,000 feet. Near Naples, Florida, at 17:35 GMT, it began a descent to 35,000 feet. At 17:48, according to the tracking service, the aircraft briefly climbed and then entered a steep, right-hand descent. It dropped around 27,000 feet in about a minute and then disappeared from tracking systems.
Audio from the flight, reported by the Express, captures the crew's last communications. The jet was flying eastbound at 35,000 feet when the crew reported turbulence, ice formation and bad weather. The pilot declared an emergency as the aircraft lost height. "We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute," the pilot said over the radio, and then added: "We're going to crash into the ground."
The aircraft struck a tree and brought down electricity cables, according to reports. Dashcam footage appears to show the jet nosediving before it burst into a large fireball, with flames and thick black smoke rising from the wreckage. Locals gathered at the scene, and witnesses told the local outlet Boca News Now that the impact sounded like a missile strike.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office confirmed it was investigating an aircraft incident on Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. It closed the road in both directions and asked drivers to stay away. A Learjet 60 is a mid-size business jet that typically carries six to seven passengers and two crew, which fits the nine people aboard.
Jim Reynolds, a representative for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, said he could not immediately share information about the passengers. "This is definitely a tragedy," he said. The people on board have not yet been identified in the available reporting.
Officials have not established what caused the descent. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have opened investigations, with the NTSB leading, according to the FAA. The findings on the descent, and on the role of the weather and icing the crew described, are what to watch for.
Citations marquantes
We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute.— Pilot, in radio audio reported by the Express
This is definitely a tragedy.— Jim Reynolds, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport representative
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