Learjet 60 Plunges 22,000 Feet Per Minute Before Palm Beach Crash
Audio recordings reveal the rapid descent of a private jet that killed nine people in Florida on Sunday.
By Beatriz Soto ·
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that nine people died when a Learjet 60 crashed nose-first into a neighborhood in Palm Springs, Florida, at approximately 12:50 p.m. Sunday. The aircraft departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was scheduled to land at North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
Air traffic control audio archived by LiveATC.Net documents the final minutes of the flight. The pilots reported moderate turbulence, icing, and precipitation. At one point, the pilot noted an outside air temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius while managing ice accumulation. The crew requested a climb to avoid worsening conditions, and air traffic control instructed them to climb and maintain altitude.
The situation deteriorated rapidly. The pilot declared an emergency, citing a descent rate of 8,000 feet per minute. Within moments, the pilot reported a descent rate of 10,000 feet per minute, then 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot stated, "We're gonna crash into the ground." Later transmissions indicated the aircraft was descending 22,000 feet while banking 60 degrees. A final transmission included the words "Look outside" followed by screaming.
Video footage captured the jet diving into the residential area before it burst into flames. Thick black smoke rose from the impact site. Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department deputies and fire rescue personnel arrived to find a large crater on the roadside and debris scattered across the area.
Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed the incident at a Sunday press conference. He described the crash as cataclysmic, noting that it looked like a missile going down and left a significant crater on the side of the road. He confirmed that officials were still determining the identities of the nine victims.
Authorities have not yet released the names of those aboard. DeSantis said it is not yet known if any of the passengers or crew were Florida residents. The FAA, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department, and county fire rescue are leading the response to the disaster.
