Investigators say Learjet was breaking up before it hit the ground in Florida, killing nine

Summary

A Learjet 60 that crashed on Sunday in a residential area of Palm Beach County, Florida, killed all nine people on board. The private Bombardier-made jet had taken off from Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas, and heavy rainfall and thunderstorms were occurring in the area where it went down. On Monday the National Transportation Safety Board said the jet may have broken up before hitting the ground at high speed, and that parts of the aircraft may be found some distance from the impact site. NTSB member Tom Chapman said at a news conference that investigators found evidence the aircraft started breaking up before it hit the ground. On Tuesday investigators reported that the majority of the left elevator, part of the tail that controls the pitch, was found in three separate pieces between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site at Greenacres, near West Palm Beach, which they said confirms the plane was breaking apart before impact. The reports reviewed here do not give a cause for the crash.

Timeline

1. Hindustan Times

   3 Nov 2026, 00:20 UTCSource ↗

   Hindustan Times reports that NTSB member Tom Chapman said at a news conference on Monday that investigators found evidence the Learjet started breaking up before it hit the ground.

2. CNA

   3 Nov 2026, 00:23 UTCSource ↗

   CNA reports that investigators say the Learjet may have broken up before crashing in Florida, and that the National Transportation Safety Board said parts of the aircraft may be found some distance from the impact site.

3. South China Morning Post

   3 Nov 2026, 02:46 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that the NTSB said on Monday that a Learjet 60 which crashed on Sunday in a residential area of Palm Beach County, killing all nine people on board, may have broken up before hitting the ground at high speed.

4. The Guardian

   3 Nov 2026, 21:31 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that investigators said on Tuesday that the majority of the Learjet's left elevator was found in three pieces between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site, confirming the plane was breaking apart before it crashed.