A Learjet 60 bound from Austin to the Bahamas fell from 35,000 feet into a road in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, November 1, 2026, killing all nine people aboard. Families identified a Texas-linked couple, their two young children, a nanny and two friends among the dead.
The jet, tail number N722BD, left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport for North Eleuthera Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, according to Yahoo. It went down at about 12:50 p.m. ET near Cresthaven, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. Two crew members and seven passengers were aboard, ABC News reported.
Today's plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida is a horrific tragedy Here's what we know: – At 12:50 PM ET, a Learjet 60 crashed in a neighborhood near Cresthaven, FL – All 9 people on board were killed – The aircraft departed from Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas…
Crew Reported Manageable Ice Before the Dive
Flying at 35,000 feet, the crew told air traffic controllers they had light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence
, Fox News reported. KUT reported that the turbulence made the jet’s altitude vary by about 700 feet. Clear ice is a transparent glaze that forms when water droplets hit an aircraft and freeze.
The crew then reported precipitation and asked to climb to 37,000 feet. Air traffic control approved. Less than 30 seconds later, NTSB board member Tom Chapman said, the plane reported a descent, followed by a mayday call.
We’re following reports of an aircraft crash near Palm Beach, Florida. Based on ADS-B data, it appears that the involved aircraft is N722BD, a Learjet 60. Last data from the aircraft was at altitude 8,750 ft. Max vertical speed was more than -32,000 fpm.https://t.co/yEh0drfAGJ pic.twitter.com/bqFsjltIoe
The transmissions grew more urgent: We’re descending 8,000 — mayday, mayday — we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,
then We are in an overspeed condition, descending 20,000 feet per minute,
NDTV reported. Overspeed means the jet was moving faster than its allowable limit. The last call: We’re going to crash into the ground.
News4JAX reported the aircraft dropped from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in just over a minute. Richard Kolko, a retired U.S. Navy commander, Navy pilot and former FBI special agent, told the station that icing was among the most likely culprits. That is his opinion; the NTSB has not stated a cause.
Aki Kuusisto, the man whose dashcam captured dramatic footage of a private jet crashing on a busy Florida roadway, describes what he witnessed and heard. "I heard a whistling noise, a big bang and I saw a fireball," he told CBS News' @cbenavidesTV. pic.twitter.com/FBVeuThKb9
Jet Leaves a Crater Beside a Mobile Home Park
The impact left a massive crater
near the entrance to a mobile home park, Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said at a news conference, Yahoo reported. About 600 residents were evacuated to two shelters. One man suffered a leg injury while driving away, investigators said, and no other injuries on the ground were reported.
Families Name the Nine Who Died
In a joint Facebook statement, the families named the seven passengers: Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and the children’s nanny, Anita Maria Cetina. Authorities have not released official identifications. The Guardian and Business Insider give Robinson’s age as 45; NDTV says 44.
Absolutely devastated by yesterday’s tragic plane crash in Florida and the loss of all nine lives. I flew on that exact aircraft last month with those same two pilots. They were incredible professionals and genuinely wonderful people. Hearing the young woman’s story and learning…
The families wrote: Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were the light of their lives.
Robinson’s brother, Anthony Robinson, said Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever.
Robinson founded Retention.com, RB2B and MoltSets, Business Insider reported. Brett Hurt, a friend and mentor from Austin, called the crash an unspeakable tragedy.
Co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, was identified by her family. RTE reported she earned her pilot’s license at 17 and had logged 1,300 flight hours. TMZ and other media named the captain as Jeff Gregory, 55, The Guardian reported.
Investigators Face a Water-Filled Crater
About 20 NTSB investigators are on the case. Investigator in charge Tim Monville said, We’ve just begun our documentation. We have a lot of work to do on scene.
The biggest obstacle, KUT reported, is recovering major wreckage from the crater; ABC News said rainwater had seeped into it.
I can not even imagine what the families of those on board must be feeling today. Such a terrible tragedy. https://t.co/2CpS1j2H71
Early indications are that the plane began breaking apart before impact. Chapman said, We may find parts of the aircraft some distance away from the actual impact site.
Maintenance records show a cockpit recorder was installed at some point, Chapman said, but the NTSB doesn’t know whether it was aboard or can be recovered. Investigators haven’t determined who was flying the plane.
Plane crash updates | Husband, wife, children among those killedhttps://t.co/bNV4k1QCiV
The NTSB said Aurora Aviation, doing business as Upper Jets, operated the flight under Part 135, the rules for on-demand charter service. Federal records list the jet as registered to LR60271 LLC, a Delaware corporation, the Austin American-Statesman reported. The operator did not respond to requests for comment.
Formal identification of the victims will require DNA matching. It’s a lengthy process, so I wouldn’t assume anything right away,
Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo said. On Monday, the Catholic diocese of Palm Beach dedicated an All Souls’ Day Mass to the nine who died.
On the ground in Palm Beach County with first responders after today’s devastating plane crash. Jean and I are praying for the families of those lost. Very grateful to PBSO and Fire Rescue for their swift response—they have our full support! pic.twitter.com/YjMoOAt8Cn