The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says investigators have found evidence that a Learjet 60 began breaking up before it crashed near West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 1, 2026, killing all nine people on board. Board Member Tom Chapman said at a briefing on November 2: "We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact." He did not confirm which components, if any, had separated, and said investigators were still seeking to determine that. Investigators have identified debris beyond the main crash site, and Chapman asked members of the public who find aircraft parts not to move them but to contact the NTSB or local authorities.
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 in the Bahamas, carrying two pilots and seven passengers, and crashed at approximately 12:51 local time; one man in a vehicle on the ground suffered a leg injury. At approximately 12:47 local time, a pilot reported light clear ice that was manageable along with moderate turbulence at 35,000 feet, with altitude deviations of about 700 feet. After reporting precipitation, the crew requested a climb to 37,000 feet, which air traffic control approved, but less than 30 seconds later the crew reported the aircraft was descending, declared a mayday, and reported descent rates reaching 20,000 feet per minute before communications were lost. Chapman said weather conditions are a major focus of the investigation, and investigators planned to examine weather and air traffic control communications. The aircraft was listed as carrying a cockpit voice recorder that had not yet been recovered, and water filling the impact crater was hampering access to the main wreckage.