Federal accident investigators have opened a formal inquiry into the crash of a business jet in suburban Florida that killed all nine people on board, as authorities on Sunday began piecing together the final moments of the flight.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the National Transportation Safety Board had launched an investigation into the incident, which occurred around 12:50 p.m. Eastern near Cresthaven, Florida. The Learjet 60 had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Duffy called the event a “horrific tragedy” and said the FAA “is sending a team to the scene to support the @NTSB’s investigation.” In a post on X, he added, “Please join me in praying for the families and loved ones of those we lost. @FAANews & @USDOT are closely monitoring this crash and will share updates as we learn more.”
The NTSB confirmed on X that investigators were dispatched to the crash site, arriving Sunday night and Monday morning, with a press conference planned in West Palm Beach. Video of the jet’s final dive circulated widely online, showing the aircraft plummeting before impact.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, speaking at a press conference near the crash site in Lake Worth Beach, said there were no reports of fatalities or injuries on the ground. He described the event as a “cataclysmic plane crash” and a “big-time tragedy.” “When you see that video, it’s a jarring thing,” DeSantis said, according to Reuters. “It was like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere.”
Flight tracking data and air traffic control recordings reviewed by the Associated Press indicate the jet was cruising east at 35,000 feet when the crew reported turbulence and icing. The weather was severe enough that the National Weather Service had issued a flood watch for the area below. The pilots requested a climb of an additional 2,000 feet, but instead the aircraft entered a catastrophic dive, descending at rates that accelerated from 10,000 feet per minute to 20,000 and then 30,000 feet per minute—speeds exceeding the aircraft’s design limits.
One pilot declared an emergency and issued a distress call, with a cockpit voice recording capturing a pilot saying the plane was going to crash. About 35 seconds after the emergency declaration, a pilot was heard saying, “We’re out of time,” according to Reuters. The jet then banked sharply to the right before slamming into the ground.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said the impact left a “massive crater” near a mobile home park, forcing the evacuation of roughly 600 residents in the area. The crash site in Greenacres lies about 10 miles from President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, though no connection to the president or his property has been reported.
The NTSB’s investigation will focus on the pilots’ handling of the emergency, the aircraft’s maintenance history, and the weather conditions at the time. The FAA is also participating in the probe, which is standard for such incidents. The crash comes as federal agencies face increased scrutiny over aviation safety, a topic that has drawn attention in ongoing federal probes and other political debates.
Local officials have pledged full cooperation with the federal investigation. “Our hearts go out to the families of those lost,” DeSantis said. “We will do everything we can to support the NTSB and the FAA as they work to determine what happened.”
