Mayday Calls, Ice Warning, Then A Deadly Dive: Florida Jet's Final Moments

Those were among the final words transmitted from a Learjet 60 before it plunged into a residential neighbourhood in Greenacres, Florida, on Sunday, leaving at least nine people dead.

Air traffic control recordings reveal the aircraft encountered worsening weather conditions, turbulence and ice accumulation in its final minutes. The jet's crew repeatedly issued distress calls as the aircraft lost altitude at an alarming rate.

"We're descending 8,000 - mayday, mayday - we're descending 10,000 feet per minute," the pilot said.

CHILLING AUDIO captures FEMALE PILOT'S FINAL MOMENTS before PLANE CRASHES in FLORIDA ‘MAYDAY, MAYDAY, we're descending 10,000 FEET PER MINUTE' ‘LOOK OUTSIDE JACK… HOLY FU*K WE'RE OUT OF TIME' — TERRIFYING final words heard before impact https://t.co/AaHiQRI69N

— RT (@RT_com) November 1, 2026

Moments later, the situation deteriorated further.

"We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute," the pilot said before adding, "We're going to crash into the ground."

In another chilling transmission captured in air traffic control audio, a female crew member was heard shouting, "Holy f**k we're out of time," moments before the aircraft nose-dived into the ground.

Air traffic controllers attempted to communicate with the crew as the jet continued its rapid descent.

"November two bravo delta, I'm here with you, talk to me," a controller said.

"We are descending 22,000 feet, and we are banking, 60 degrees ... we're going outside," the crew member replied in one of the final recorded messages from the aircraft.

Flight Encountered Ice And Turbulence

The Learjet 60 had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The aircraft was travelling east at 35,000 feet when pilots reported turbulence, icing and precipitation and requested permission to climb an additional 2,000 feet.

Earlier, the pilot had told controllers, "We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence."

However, after the aircraft encountered precipitation and sought a higher altitude, conditions worsened rapidly.

Aircraft Entered Steep Dive

Flight tracking data and air traffic control recordings indicate the jet climbed to about 41,000 feet before entering a steep descent.

According to the data, the aircraft first descended at around 10,000 feet per minute, then 20,000 feet per minute and eventually more than 30,000 feet per minute, pushing the plane beyond its design limits.

The jet also made a sharp right turn before plunging toward the ground. Flight data later showed a descent rate exceeding 32,000 feet per minute. The last signal from the aircraft was recorded at an altitude of about 8,750 feet.

CRAZY FOOTAGE: New video shows the moment a plane went down in Greenacres, Florida. https://t.co/kJehk0rhhE

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 1, 2026

Authorities have not immediately said what caused the aircraft to crash.

Crash Captured On Video

Unverified footage posted on social media appears to show a dash-camera recording the crash. The video shows vehicles travelling along a residential suburban street when an aircraft suddenly nose-dives into the ground before erupting into a massive fireball.

Other videos recorded by motorists captured the aircraft plunging from the sky before striking near a roadway and exploding.

Images from the scene showed a crater-sized hole in a residential road, with flames burning around scattered debris and chunks of concrete. Thick black smoke rose above the crash site as stunned residents gathered nearby.

FOOTAGE: A plane crashed in Greenacres, Florida, in Palm Beach County. Video from the scene shows fires burning, a crater in the roadway, and debris spread across a wet Street. The aircraft type and number of casualties are not yet known. https://t.co/tGGe0Q0hub

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 1, 2026

Residents Describe Explosion

A Florida mother and her son were preparing to leave their apartment when a powerful explosion shook their home.

According to the mother, her frightened son rushed to her as windows rattled and electricity went out, Fox News reported.

He initially believed a lightning strike had caused the blast, but they soon noticed thick black smoke rising outside.

The crash occurred in Greenacres, in Palm Beach County, Florida, in a residential neighbourhood.

The site lies about seven to eight miles west of Mar-a-Lago and around four miles south of an airport in West Palm Beach, where President Donald Trump had departed more than an hour before the crash.

Thunderstorms were reported in the area at the time of the incident.

According to the National Weather Service, dangerous weather conditions in the region included precipitation, turbulence and icing, all factors reported by the flight crew before the aircraft went down.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash.