National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators said they have found evidence that a Learjet 60 shed some components before it crashed near West Palm Beach, Florida, killing all nine people aboard on November 1, 2026.
Asked at a November 2 media briefing whether the horizontal stabilizer had separated from the Learjet, NTSB Board Member Tom Chapman did not confirm which components might have come off.
“We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact,” Chapman said. “We’re still seeking to determine that.”
The NTSB said the aircraft was operated by Aurora Aviation, doing business as Upper Jets, on a Part 135 charter flight. It departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) at 09:37 local time for North Eleuthera Airport (ELH) in the Bahamas, carrying two pilots and seven passengers.
The Learjet crashed at approximately 12:51 local time. One man in a vehicle on the ground suffered a leg injury, Chapman said.
Chapman and investigator-in-charge Timothy Monville outlined the crew’s communications with Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) before the crash, saying investigators would examine the weather and ATC communications.
At approximately 12:47 local time, a female pilot reported light clear ice that was manageable, along with moderate turbulence. The aircraft was at 35,000 feet, and the crew reported altitude deviations of about 700 feet and an outside air temperature of -47 degrees Celsius.
Soon afterward, the crew reported encountering precipitation and requested a climb to 37,000 feet. Air traffic control approved the request.
Less than 30 seconds later, the female pilot reported that the aircraft was descending, followed by a mayday call and reported descent rates reaching 20,000 feet per minute. Investigators have not yet determined whether she or the other pilot was flying the aircraft.
The NTSB has not confirmed whether the Learjet flew through an active thunderstorm, but Chapman said investigators will review the conditions along the flight’s route as they work to establish what preceded the loss of control.
A team of about 20 NTSB investigators began arriving Sunday night, he said, with additional agency personnel arriving Monday. The investigation will include a review of the aircraft’s history and whether similar accidents have involved other Learjet 60s.
Recovery work faces significant challenges. The aircraft struck the ground at high speed in a nearly vertical descent, and water filling the impact crater is hampering access to the wreckage, Chapman said.
Chapman said the aircraft was listed as carrying a cockpit voice recorder, which investigators had not yet recovered.
Although the debris field identified so far is small, the evidence of a possible in-flight breakup means investigators may need to search farther from the main impact site.
Officials are also working to restore access for about 600 nearby residents so they can return to their homes as soon as possible, Chapman said.