17 Other Jets Were in the Same Sky. Only the Florida Learjet Fell.

sec by sec ^ | November 12, 2026 | sec by sec

[xxqqzz]

On Sunday, November 1, 2026, a Learjet 60 (N722BD) flying from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas fell from 35,000 feet inside a thunderstorm over South Florida and crashed near Greenacres in Palm Beach County. All nine people on board were killed.

Seventeen other jets were in the same stormy sky above 25,000 feet that afternoon, and all of them landed. Under our last video, many of you said the others simply went around the storm. We checked every one on the real NEXRAD weather radar: most came close to the same storms, and two flew straight through the rain. So what was different about the Learjet?

This video lays the Learjet's last twenty minutes over the National Weather Service radar near Miami, the ADS-B tracks of all 18 jets and the public Miami Center air traffic control recording, second by second: the FAA's 20-mile rule, seven quiet minutes in a six-mile lane along the edge of the storm, and the turn toward Freeport, straight at a storm cell that was growing past their altitude. It also remembers the nine people on board. The NTSB investigation is open: no cause has been found, and nothing in this video should be read as one.

⏱️ Chapters 0:00 Cold open 0:58 How We Checked 2:02 Eighteen Jets 3:05 Twenty Miles 4:26 Seven Minutes 5:38 The Cell on the Line 7:46 What Was Different 9:00 Your Answers 9:53 What Comes Next

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: aviation; learjet; storm

[xxqqzz]

This video is sort of interesting. Shows radar picture showing learjet was flying just south of the main storm. They apparently flew right into a small storm and that is when they went into a dive. Seems like they should have stayed further south further from the big storm, rather than flying close to it.

Video says two other small jets flew through the storm, but doesn't give much information on them

[Right_Wing_Madman]

They apparently flew right into a small storm and that is when they went into a dive. Seems like they should have stayed further south further from the big storm, rather than flying close to it.

The big storm wasn't the problem. They were south of the big storm.

They flew above the small storm that was developing. The captain did not have a vector to fly south of the small storm, but had ATC clearance to fly north of the small storm, to avoid the small storm and big storm.

Regrettably, the crew chose to stay on course.

[metmom]

Ryan Hall has a short video explaining it.

76 Seconds From Cruising to the Ground - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/60QhQKtP51I

1 minute long

[Right_Wing_Madman]

Video says two other small jets flew through the storm, but doesn't give much information on them

The Learjet should have been able to handle flying over the small storm, but something went wrong.

Possible theories:

1. Crew delayed or failed to activate anti-icing systems.
2. System failure on aircraft, such as icing feedback on tail or wings.
3. Previous damage to aircraft that was not repaired.
4. Freak of nature, act of God, hit an updraft at the perfect time, a weather condition the crew and aircraft could not recover from.

[EnderWiggin1970]

Regarding point 3, at one point I ran across a short video covering an exchange with ATC about 6 months prior to the crash with the same aircraft, but different crew. The aircraft was apparently very unstable and unable to maintain a set altitude, such that the ATC controller was concerned and not happy because they were in danger of becoming a problem to other aircraft. This might be nothing, or it might point to some kind of issue with the trim that might have involved a weakness or vulnerability that was fatally exposed in the crash.

[xxqqzz]

The video from 6 months earlier was probably the same crew. It was a woman’s voice, who sounds like the same woman. So she was the pilot monitoring and probably the same pilot was flying.

[jonrick46]

My guess is “#3. Previous damage to aircraft that was not repaired.”

[volare737]

Well, first of all, it is pilot error to fly through any storm, big or small—- as a small one can become big quickly. There is a reason the military and FAA recommend 20 NM from any storm.

Second, once the jet started that rapid descent (for icing, structure failure or whatever), it is also possible that the pilots’ actions made it even worse. Once you get an overspeed in the Lear60, you do NOT use the spoilers/speed brake to slow down—as that will drive the nose down even further (even though that would seem one thing you could do). That is a Memory Item. The Memory Item also calls for dropping the gear if airspeed is extreme. We don’t know if the pilot did yet.

Third, the Memory Item also calls for using both the Elevator AND pitch trim to pull the nose up. It is possible the pilot only used the elevator and not the pitch trim to stop the dive.

Fourth, there is no aural warning airspeed exceedence horn in the audio tape. Was it MEL’d? Was it inop? Hopefully, we will find out why soon.

I flew the Lear60 for a couple of years, and there are many issues that need to be addressed. The NTSB is a great organization and does a thorough job, and will likely find out what really happened—other than the obvious pilot error of flying into a storm—which started the tragedy in the first place.

[volare737]

I also want to add, the Lear60 is a great jet to fly, but it can be more ‘unforgiving’ than other jets if not flown properly.

[maddog55]

That’s all irrelevant info. Weather conditions can vary significantly in close areas especially icing which happen in as little as a few hundred feet of vertical altitude separation.

[Erik Latranyi]

Other jets refused a direct route through the growing storms.

The Lear 60 operates in a very narrow performance envelope....get out of that envelope (faster or slower) and the plane can become very unstable.

Icing conditions can create this scenario.

They tried to “shoot the gap” between storms (pilot’s decision) but those storms were blooming and changing rapidly. They ended up in the middle of one cell that was growing rapidly.

If they had properly chosen to go around the storms rather than go direct to the Bahamas, they would be alive.

“Get-there-itis” kills aircraft.

[dinodino]

I think it was #3, after listening to the previous turbulence incident with the same tail.

[exPBRrat]

Pilots have to obey the tower, That’s the way it is.

[volare737]

They were talking to “Center” at that altitude, not the “Tower”. And pilots can ignore any ATC direction if they declare an Emergency.

[Red Badger]

Ping............

[Paal Gulli]

"Pilots have to obey the tower, That’s the way it is.

Code of Federal Regulations § 91.123 Compliance with ATC clearances and instructions.

(a) When an ATC clearance has been obtained, no pilot in command may deviate from that clearance unless an amended clearance is obtained, an emergency exists, or the deviation is in response to a traffic alert and collision avoidance system resolution advisory....

Oops.

The Pilot-In-Command always Always ALWAYS has the final say on of safety of flight.

[volare737]

Exactly, the pilot is the final authority for safety of the aircraft, period!

[iontheball]

Video says two other small jets flew through the storm, but doesn’t give much information on them
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You only need a small glazing on your airfoils before you are big trouble. Icing occurs at different elevations. The rule is respect Mother Nature and give a wide berth to any icing situation. Probably one of the biggest icing tragedies was Flight 90 going down in the D.C. Potomac River leaving Reagan Airport a few years back. There was some pilot error presumably on engine thrust, but the main culprit was wing icing, though the plane had been treated before take off.

[Vaduz]

3. Previous damage to aircraft that was not repaired/or found

Bookie took my bet

[EVO X]

but the main culprit was wing icing, though the plane had been treated before take off.

That is what happened to a GulfStream heading to Europe last winter. It stopped in Bangor to refuel. They waited too long to take off. A commercial jet in front of them went back for a second deicing...