Learjet Plunges at 30,000 Feet Per Minute Before Impacting South Florida Road
All nine occupants of a private jet died in Greenacres, Florida, after the aircraft entered an uncontrollable dive following reports of ice accumulation and severe turbulence.
By Megan Greco ·
The aircraft descended at a rate of 30,000 feet per minute in its final moments, a speed that pushed the plane beyond its design limits before it struck the ground in a residential area of Greenacres, Florida. The crash killed all nine people on board, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
The Learjet 60 departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas on Sunday with a scheduled destination of the Bahamas. Rain battered the region at the time of the incident. The National Weather Service kept an excessive rain flood alert in effect until Monday afternoon.
Flight control recordings reveal the pilot reported clear, light ice and moderate turbulence while the jet was heading east at 35,000 feet. The pilot requested a climb of 2,000 feet after encountering precipitation. The situation deteriorated rapidly as the plane began to lose altitude.
The pilot declared an emergency as the descent rate accelerated to 10,000 feet per minute. Radio transmissions captured by LiveATC.net show the pilot shouting, 'We are descending 10,000 feet per minute.' The aircraft then exceeded its overspeed condition while falling at 20,000 feet per minute.
In a final transmission, the pilot stated, 'We are going to crash into the ground.' The jet tilted sharply to the right before impacting the pavement near a busy highway. Witnesses described the plane as a fireball that passed close to houses and vehicles before exploding.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the event as a catastrophic aviation accident. He noted that the plane looked like a descending missile and left a large crater next to the road. DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths on the ground.
Palm Beach County officials evacuated approximately 600 residents from a nearby mobile home community. The highway remained closed indefinitely while federal investigators examined the site. Jim Reynolds, a spokesperson for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, confirmed the aircraft was private but did not immediately identify the passengers.
The crash site is located in Greenacres, a city of 45,000 residents situated seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation with support from the Federal Aviation Administration. Duffy called the event a horrible tragedy in a post on X.
The National Weather Service maintained its flood alert due to excessive rain through Monday afternoon. The FAA confirmed the flight path from Texas to the Bahamas. The pilot had reported manageable ice and turbulence minutes before the rapid descent began.
Source: WSCV
