2nd November 2026 – (Hong Kong) All nine people aboard a business jet were killed on Sunday, 1st November 2026, after the aircraft plunged almost vertically into a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, erupting into a fireball only metres from passing traffic and nearby homes. Video captured from vehicles showed the Learjet 60 descending rapidly before striking the ground near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, where flames and thick smoke rose from a crater strewn with debris.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the crash at about 12.50pm was a “horrific tragedy” and confirmed the Federal Aviation Administration would assist the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities on the ground, describing the impact as resembling a missile strike that left a substantial crater on the roadside as authorities cordoned off the area and urged motorists to avoid it.
According to preliminary air traffic control audio and flight‑tracking data, the aircraft had departed Austin‑Bergstrom International Airport in Texas bound for the Bahamas and was cruising east at about 35,000 feet when the crew reported turbulence, icing and precipitation and requested a climb of a further 2,000 feet. Moments later, the jet entered an extreme descent, reportedly exceeding 30,000 feet per minute at its steepest, with the pilot declaring an emergency and warning controllers the aircraft was in an overspeed condition before impact.
Officials said the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office closed roads in both directions and firefighters, paramedics and other emergency teams rushed to the scene, which was designated a mass‑casualty incident. Around 600 residents of a nearby mobile home community were temporarily evacuated amid damage to local infrastructure, including water lines, and authorities indicated it could take weeks before the main road fully reopens as repairs and the federal inquiry proceed.
The Federal Aviation Administration listed the Learjet 60 as owned by a Delaware‑registered corporation, and airport officials confirmed it was a private flight without releasing identities of those on board. Witnesses and early reports indicated thunderstorms and heavy rain in the area at the time of the crash, with dash‑camera footage shared on social media capturing the final moments before the explosion.
