Learjet 60 crashes in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine aboard
The gist
A Learjet 60 crashed near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine on board.
The NTSB is investigating whether the jet broke up before impact.
How it unfolded
- Nov 1, 2026The Learjet 60 crashed at about 12:50 p.m. ET in a residential area near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County, killing all nine people on board. The impact left a massive crater near a mobile home park entrance, and about 600 residents were evacuated to two shelters.
- Nov 1, 2026Pilots had reported turbulence, icing and precipitation at 35,000 feet and asked to climb another 2,000 feet before the aircraft entered a steep nosedive, descending at over 20,000 feet per minute.
- Nov 2, 2026The NTSB said the aircraft may have been breaking up before impact and that parts might be found some distance from the site. The co-pilot was identified as Nathalia Gadelha, 20.
Key terms
- NTSB
- Independent U.S. federal agency that investigates civil transportation accidents, including aviation crashes.
- FAA
- U.S. Department of Transportation agency that regulates civil aviation, air traffic control and aircraft certification.
- icing
- Formation of ice when water droplets in the air freeze onto objects they touch, hazardous to aircraft.
Source: Wikipedia