Isophoric News · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
NTSB says Learjet may have begun breaking apart before crash that killed nine in Florida
A Learjet 60 flying from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas crashed in a Palm Beach County, Florida, neighborhood on Sunday, killing all nine people aboard, two crew members and seven passengers, The Center Square reported. National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said Monday there is some indication the jet "was breaking up before impact" and that weather, including icing, is a focus of the investigation, PBS NewsHour and The Center Square reported. The cause has not been determined. The crew reported "light, clear ice" and moderate turbulence at about 12:47 p.m., asked to climb and was cleared, then announced a descent and a mayday, Chapman said, according to The Center Square; at about 12:48 p.m. the crew radioed that the plane was "in an overspeed condition." Investigator in charge Timothy Monville said the wreckage is spread over about half a mile of ballfields, businesses and homes, and that one man in a nearby vehicle suffered a leg injury. About 600 residents were displaced and receiving temporary shelter, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said, according to The Center Square. Officials had not released the names of the dead as of Monday, PBS reported; relatives identified several of them to news outlets.