‘We’re gonna die’: Chilling ATC audio emerges after at least nine people killed in Florida plane crash

A mid-sized business jet bound for the Bahamas crashed in Florida, killing all nine people onboard. The Learjet 60 originated from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and went down in a residential area near Cresthaven around 12:50 pm local time on Sunday.

Video footage from the scene shows a large fireball after the crash, with onlookers and emergency services arriving as responders assessed the damage. Florida officials confirmed that all nine occupants were killed, and there were no reported ground injuries or fatalities at the time of the incident.

Initial flight-tracking data indicates the aircraft descended rapidly, then disappeared from ADS-B signals as it dropped about 27,000 feet in roughly one minute. The cockpit mayday transcript captured the crew’s escalating distress and a warning that they were descending rapidly and would crash.

There were scattered storms in the area around the time of the crash, and the aircraft passed through a stronger storm cell shortly before the descent began. The pilot had reported icing, very cold outside air, and moderate turbulence prior to the incident; investigators will determine the contributing factors.

Authorities noted that about 600 local residents required shelter due to the extent of damage, with two shelters opened to accommodate them. The crash site lies roughly 6.5 kilometers south of Palm Beach International Airport, and nearby roadways were closed as the investigation commenced by the FAA and NTSB.