Palm Beach plane had 'incredibly fast' descent before fiery crash. What happened?

Sofia Saric, Miami Herald on Nov 2, 2026

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The investigation into what caused a Sunday plane crash into a heavy populated Palm Beach County neighborhood, killing all nine aboard, has only just begun. But experts say audio recorded from minutes before the crash may offer clues as to what happened.It’s uncommon for a plane to fall so quickly mid-flight and nosedive, indicating the deadly crash may have been the result of an icing issue rather than an engine failure, according to Miami-based aviation attorney Zachary Gorwitz.

The private Learjet 60, with the tail number N722BD, was heading from Texas to the Bahamas. It crashed into a suburban street around 12:50 p.m. Sunday, exploding on impact and scattering debris all over the road and a nearby mobile home community.

Gorwitz, of the Podhurst Orseck law firm, reviewed the audio recording between the plane’s pilot and an air traffic controller, which highlighted the “incredibly fast” descent of the plane — around 7 miles in 60 seconds, he said. The pilot told air traffic control that she was experiencing some icing and turbulence issues, and within minutes, the plane had slammed into the street.

It leads Gorwitz to believe the plane may have experienced an icing issue, which is when ice particles from the frosty clouds at flight altitudes build up on key pieces of the airplane. In this case, Gorwitz said, it could have possibly affected the horizontal stabilizer, which is located on the back of aircraft to prevent the nose from tipping too far up or down, he said. If there are ice crystals or build up in the sensor of a horizontal stabilizer, it could cause a crash similar to the one captured Sunday in footage posted to social media.

When there’s an issue with a plane engine, there is a more gradual descent, he said, adding “there was no gliding here.” Typically, accidents happen around takeoff or landing, according to Gorwitz, such as the Amazon cargo plane that skidded of the end of the runway in September at Miami International Airport, killing five people.

It’s certainly less common to see something happen to the plane at 35,000 feet in the air, he said.

Gorwitz said he spotted some people questioning online whether it was a plane that crashed because of a reported lack of surface debris resembling aircraft parts. The crash site was miles from Mar-a-Lago, which is a heavily guarded area that has short-range air defense and counter-drone systems.

The plane was nosediving at over 600 miles per hour, “so it’s really not surprising that there wouldn’t be a lot of surface debris because of the incredible force of the impact,” Gorwitz said.

It’s not the first time a Learjet plane hit the ground at a pretty steep, nose down angle, he said. Last year, a Learjet 55 Medevac plane crashed into a commercial and residential area shortly after departure from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, killing six on the aircraft and two people on the ground.

Bombardier, who owns the Learjet brand, said in a statement shared with the Miami Herald that the company is “deeply saddened by this tragic event and extend our sincerest sympathies to all those affected.”

“We cannot comment on the potential cause of this accident until the investigation is complete, and we will fully support the investigating authorities and cooperate as needed,” a Bombardier spokesperson said.

The people who were killed on the plane are owed a duty of safety and a duty of care by the manufacturer of the aircraft, the pilot and all involved parties, but the same duty is owed to the people on the ground. The surrounding homes and area are “now a crime scene,” Gorwitz said.

“You can see from the video the size of the fireball,” he said. “There was a lot of jet fuel that was burning there.”

The National Transportation Safety Board investigation, which frequently takes a year or longer, is informed by the manufacturers of the aircraft, the engine and any other critical parts, Gorwitz said. But they don’t get input from victims or victim’s families, who should retain their own attorneys.