Prayer Alert: 'Like a Missile Going Down!' 9 Dead in Florida Jet Crash (Video)

Todd Starnes : Nov 2, 2026
ToddStarnes.com

While the crash was horrific and tragically killed all 9 aboard, it was also miraculous that no one on the ground was hit.

[ToddStarnes.com] Nine people were killed Sunday when a Bahamas-bound private jet plunged into a Palm Beach County neighborhood, erupting in a massive fireball and leaving a crater near homes and passing motorists. (Screengrab image: via X)

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed everyone aboard the Learjet 60 died.

"Please join me in praying for the families and loved ones of those we lost," Duffy wrote on social media, according to NBC6.

The aircraft departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and crashed near Cresthaven around 12:50 p.m., federal officials said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described the crash as "cataclysmic," saying the aircraft appeared "like a missile going down," according to WPTV. Officials reported no immediate ground injuries or deaths.

"It was like a missile coming down and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere. And to have those people on board, it's really a tragic way to see people pass away," DeSantis said. (Screengrab image: via X-EO)

Meanwhile, newly surfaced recordings revealed the pilot's desperate conversation with air traffic controllers before impact.

"We're going to crash into the ground," the pilot radioed, according to The Associated Press, citing recordings captured by LiveATC.net.

The pilot had reported icing and turbulence before declaring an emergency during a rapidly accelerating descent, AP reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, supported by the FAA. Authorities closed Military Trail and prepared to relocate approximately 600 nearby residents as investigators secured the crash scene. The cause remains undetermined.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a "whistling noise" just before a huge fireball erupted.

Surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and anti-aircraft defenses have been deployed to protect President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate and the nearby Donald J. Trump International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida, at the request of the US Secret Service due to a heightened threat environment. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here