Overview
- Videos and on‑scene reports show the Learjet struck Military Trail in Palm Beach County and produced a large explosion and a crater that forced hundreds to evacuate local homes.
- Officials confirmed all nine people on board died and no ground injuries were reported, with emergency crews closing the road and opening shelters for displaced residents.
- LiveATC recordings capture the flight crew reporting ice, turbulence and then frantic mayday calls that included “we’re going to crash,” while ADS‑B/flight‑tracking data show the jet lost roughly 8,200 meters (≈27,000 feet) in about one minute.
- The NTSB, leading the probe with FAA support, told reporters investigators have early signs the airplane may have been breaking up before impact and are assembling ATC audio, tracking data, video, weather and wreckage for a formal cause determination.
- Investigators will focus on how icing, convective storm cells and system performance could have combined to overwhelm the jet’s anti‑ice systems and control, a risk the NTSB has warned can be deadly for business jets and that could complicate recovery of flight recorders.