The image captures the devastating explosion following the reported private jet crash in Palm Beach. A massive fireball engulfs the crash site, sending towering flames and thick black smoke into the sky
Reported by:
Cherry Meigh Timbol
News Content Editor
Published November 2, 2026
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Learjet 60 business jet crashed in Palm Beach County on Sunday, and all nine people aboard were reported killed. The crash occurred around 12:50 p.m. near the Cresthaven neighborhood, and the plane had been traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.
Video from a passing vehicle appears to show the aircraft descending nearly vertically before impact. Impact occurred near Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, creating a crater in the roadway and knocking out power lines. Military Trail was closed in both directions, and officials had not confirmed deaths or serious injuries on the ground. The site is roughly eight to nine miles from Mar-a-Lago.
Air traffic control audio has since circulated. In the recording, the crew reports moderate turbulence and ice, then precipitation, and asks to climb. A mayday call follows, with the crew reporting descent rates that rise from 10,000 to 20,000 feet per minute. A female crew member is heard saying they are going to crash, then screams, and the controller replies that he is with her before the audio cuts out. Flight data reportedly showed a descent rate even higher than the crew stated.
Federal officials have said they are monitoring the situation. The FAA and the Department of Transportation said they are closely following the crash. The cause has not been determined, and the victims have not been publicly identified.
The NTSB typically leads such investigations and may take months to issue a final report.
