Nine dead in Palm Beach jet crash

All nine people aboard a Learjet 60 died when the aircraft crashed near the Cresthaven neighborhood in Palm Beach County around 12:50 p.m. on Sunday, November 1.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the fatalities in a post on X. He stated that the FAA was dispatching a team to support the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into the accident.

The jet departed Austin, Texas, earlier that day. FAA records show it took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas as its final destination. Instead of reaching the island, the plane came down in a residential section of Florida.

NBC 6 South Florida reported the aircraft struck a road before erupting in a massive fireball. The crash site is located near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. Emergency crews responded quickly, and drivers were advised to find alternate routes through the area.

As of late Sunday afternoon, authorities had not released the names of the victims. It was also unclear whether anyone on the ground was injured in the impact. Duffy asked the public to pray for the families and loved ones of those killed.

The NTSB and the FAA are currently monitoring the scene and working to determine the cause of the crash. No official reason for the accident has been announced yet. The Learjet 60 is a twin-engine business jet manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace, a model that entered service in 1993.