The pilot of a Learjet that crashed in South Florida, killing everyone on board, reported two troubling conditions before the aircraft plunged to the ground.
The Bahamas-bound private plane had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. It crashed in a neighborhood near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County at 12:50 PM on Sunday, November 1.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine people on board were killed. In a post on X, he called the incident a “horrific tragedy” and said the Federal Aviation Administration was sending a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the cause.
What are officials saying?
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of anyone on the ground being injured or killed.
“It was a cataclysmic plane crash,” DeSantis said, according to The Guardian. “It looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road.”
The crash site is roughly eight miles from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The 80-year-old was reportedly in Iowa for a midterm election rally around the time of the crash.
What did the pilot report before the crash?
The aircraft was flying east at about 35,000 feet when the pilots reported two problems: icing, and turbulence causing the altitude to fluctuate by up to 700 feet.
According to air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC.net, the pilot first said the conditions were manageable.
“We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” the pilot told controllers.
The situation quickly got worse, though. After the plane encountered precipitation, the crew asked for permission to climb another 2,000 feet to find smoother air. Moments later, the aircraft entered a steep descent, and the pilot declared an emergency.
“We’re descending 8,000 – mayday, mayday – we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot radioed.
The pilot then reported an overspeed condition, saying they were descending at 20,000 feet per minute. The final transmission was a chilling one: “We’re going to crash into the ground.”
What’s happening at the scene?
The crash led Palm Beach County authorities to evacuate about 600 people from a nearby mobile home community.
“Right now, our priority is evacuating the adjacent community right behind. We have about 600 people that we have to make sure have shelter tonight, food,” said Joel Flores, Palm Beach County Commissioner for District 3, at a press conference on Sunday evening.
Firefighters and emergency crews rushed to the scene near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. Officials closed roads in both directions and urged drivers to avoid the area.
The NTSB is leading the investigation, with help from the FAA.
We are sending our thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by this crash.
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