A Note to Those Affected by Yesterday’s Events
On behalf of Scissortail Aviation Advisors and the central and south Texas aviation community, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the friends, families, and loved ones of the nine people lost yesterday. We don't yet know their names or exactly what circumstances led to the jet flying directly through the core of a powerful thunderstorm. What we do know for certain is that nine people boarded an airplane in our hometown did not make it to their destination, and that there are families who are waiting for those answers.
Business aviation is a small community, and we feel this loss to our core. Our thoughts are also with the residents near the crash site in Florida, the first responders on the scene, the jet's operator, and the crews and line professionals at Austin-Bergstrom who handled that airplane Sunday morning. To everyone affected, the entire business aviation community is with you.
Let’s get into the Brief… This week, a Learjet 60 that left Austin crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine aboard. Textron Aviation reported a 21% increase in third-quarter jet deliveries and rolled out the CJ4 Gen3. Gulfstream delivered 40 aircraft in the quarter as General Dynamics raised its 2026 outlook. Texas charter and fractional flying ran 9% ahead of last year. And a cold front is teeing up severe storms in North Texas tonight.
Learjet 60 Crashes in Florida
Learjet 60 N722BD, Departing Austin, Crashes in Palm Beach County; All Nine Aboard Killed
A Learjet 60 registered N722BD crashed Sunday, Nov. 1, at about 12:50 p.m. local time in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people aboard The airplane came down in a residential area along Military Trail near Greenacres and Lake Worth Beach, leaving a large crater and wreckage scattered over a wide area. Gov. Ron DeSantis said no one on the ground had been reported hurt or killed. The county closed Military Trail between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane, and about 600 residents of a nearby mobile home community were expected to move to shelters.
The FAA said the airplane departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (KAUS) bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. Austin-Bergstrom told CBS Austin the flight was a general aviation flight and that the airport had no information about the passengers, crew or owner. The FAA registry lists the airplane's owner as LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware. No official statement had named the operator, identified the nine people aboard or said how many were crew and how many were passengers.
ADS-B tracking data reported by AVweb and Air Data News showed the airplane climbed to 41,000 feet, then began descending near Naples, Florida, to about 35,000 feet toward West Palm Beach. Around 12:48 p.m., shortly before the crash, it briefly climbed, then entered a steep descending right turn. Tracking data showed groundspeed of about 437 knots at 35,250 feet, then about 505 knots at 28,950 feet, with a descent rate of nearly 20,000 feet per minute. The maximum recorded descent rate exceeded 32,000 feet per minute before the data ended, roughly a minute after the descent began.
Air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN captured the crew's last communications with Miami Center. The pilot reported "light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence." The crew then reported precipitation and requested a climb, and a controller cleared them to 37,000 feet, according to media reports. The crew later declared an emergency and reported an overspeed condition and a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute. The descent rate the crew reported differed from the rate in the tracking data.
Thunderstorms were scattered across South Florida at the time. A National Weather Service observation about 15 minutes before the crash recorded thunderstorms in the vicinity, visibility of 3 miles and gusts to 19 knots. AVweb reported the airplane appeared to have passed through a strong thunderstorm cell several minutes before the rapid descent began. An analysis of Miami NEXRAD radar posted on X by the Live Storm Chasers account said the airplane entered a thunderstorm core near Wellington at about 12:48 p.m., at roughly 35,000 feet. That analysis is unofficial and had not been confirmed by the NTSB.
The NTSB is leading the investigation with FAA support and sent a go-team to the site. The NTSB is planning a media briefing Monday in West Palm Beach. Investigators had not determined what caused the rapid descent or whether weather contributed. The NTSB typically issues a preliminary report about 30 days after an accident.
Texas
Texas Charter and Fractional Departures Up 9% From Last Year in Week 43
Texas recorded 3,106 Part 135 and Part 91K departures in Week 43, up 1% from the previous week and up 9% from the same week of 2025, according to WingX data published Oct. 29 by Private Jet Card Comparisons. The preceding four weeks totaled 12,065 departures, up 7% from the same period last year. Across all tracked business jets, Texas recorded 6,540 departures, up 2% from the previous week and up 6% from a year earlier. The four-week total for all business jets was 24,722, up 2%.
The report covers Oct. 18 to 24. The prior report, for Week 42 ending Oct. 17 and published Oct. 22, showed 3,078 Part 135 and Part 91K departures in Texas, up 3% from the previous week and up 1% from a year earlier, and 6,414 departures across all business jets, up 4% week over week and flat year over year.
StandardAero Moves Grapevine PT6 Operations to DFW
StandardAero is moving its Grapevine PT6 operations to a DFW location, Aviation International News reported Oct. 21. The company's stated rationale is to consolidate Texas engine services at one location with foreign trade zone status.
Around North America
Textron Aviation Q3 Jet Deliveries Climb 21%; CJ4 Gen3 Rolls Out
Textron Aviation delivered 51 Citation jets in the third quarter, up 21% from 42 a year earlier, Textron reported Oct. 29. The nine-month total was 128 jets, compared with 122 a year ago. Commercial turboprop deliveries fell to 32 from 39.
Segment revenue was $1.7 billion, up 14%, and segment profit was $179 million, up 4%. Backlog stood at $8 billion at the end of September. Textron CEO Lisa Atherton said third-quarter orders were the highest for a third quarter since 2023 and that she saw no change in buying behavior tied to interest rates or geopolitics. Brian Rohloff became president and CEO of Textron Aviation on Aug. 31, succeeding Ron Draper.
Textron said the first production CJ4 Gen3 has rolled out, with entry into service expected in the first half of 2027, and that the Beechcraft Denali has passed 4,200 flight-test hours. The company expects Aviation to finish 2026 at the low end of its 11% to 12% margin guidance. Engines, extrusions, spars and ground power units remain supply-chain bottlenecks.
The CJ4 Gen3 rolled out of Textron’s Wichita factory, which the company announced Oct. 20. It’s the latest version of the largest jet in the Citation CJ family, launched at NBAA-BACE 2024 with touchscreen Garmin G3000 Prime avionics, redesigned winglets and cabin refinements. It’s expected to be the first light jet to market with Garmin Emergency Autoland, which can take control if the pilot is incapacitated, pick a suitable airport, fly the approach and landing, and bring the airplane to a full stop. Autothrottle is also part of the package. Textron projects a maximum range of 2,165 nm, a maximum cruise speed of 451 ktas, seating for up to 11 and a useful load of 6,930 pounds. The CJ3 Gen3 and M2 Gen3, which also get Autoland, are targeting certification in 2027.
General Dynamics Raises Outlook; Gulfstream Delivers 40 Aircraft
General Dynamics (Gulfstream) reported third-quarter revenue of $14.57 billion, up about 13%, and earnings of $4.49 per share on Oct. 30, according to Reuters. The company raised its 2026 revenue guidance to $56.5 billion to $56.8 billion. Gulfstream delivered 40 aircraft in the quarter, up from 39 a year earlier. Aerospace orders totaled $5 billion. Company backlog reached a record $220.3 billion.
Around the World
WingX: Europe Down 2% Year Over Year in Week 43
WingX recorded 81,765 business jet departures worldwide in Week 43, down 2% from the previous week and up 1% from a year earlier. Europe logged 10,767 departures, down 2% week over week and down 2% year over year, with the declines concentrated in Germany, France and Switzerland. Germany's weekly drop was about 9%. Year to date, European activity is up about 1.2%, led by Portugal at more than 6%.
EBAA Week Is Two Weeks Away
The European Business Aviation Association's EBAA Week runs Nov. 16 to 18 at Skyhall in Brussels, with Bombardier, Dassault and Textron committed as exhibitors.
Weather and Fuel
Texas Forecast, Nov. 2 to 8
Clocks fell back Sunday, Nov. 1. A cold front was forecast to cross Texas Monday night into Tuesday, bringing severe storms to North Texas and West Texas, then cooler and drier air for the middle of the week.
North Texas (NWS Fort Worth): Monday was forecast above average, with highs in the low-to-mid 80s, and storm chances increased in the afternoon across western North Texas. A few strong to severe storms were expected Monday night into Tuesday, mainly along and north of the I-20 corridor, with damaging winds and hail as the main threats, a low tornado threat and localized flooding possible. Conditions turned seasonable and mostly sunny behind the front, with highs in the mid-70s and lows in the upper 40s to low 50s Tuesday through Thursday. The forecast was issued at 3:22 p.m. Sunday.
Central and South Texas (NWS Austin/San Antonio): Monday was warm and humid, followed by the cold front, which brought rain Monday night and Tuesday. Temperatures cooled midweek, with morning lows mostly in the 50s by late in the week. The office listed no watches or warnings as of 5:14 p.m. Sunday and said wetter-than-normal conditions were favored for November.
Southeast Texas (NWS Houston/Galveston): A front was forecast to bring showers and storms Tuesday, followed by cooler weather, with overnight lows falling into the 40s and 50s for most of the week. A Coastal Flood Advisory was in effect Oct. 31. The office's update was issued Saturday, Oct. 31.
South Plains and Panhandle (NWS Lubbock): Thunderstorms were possible after 9 p.m. Sunday, mainly over the southwest Texas Panhandle and northern South Plains, and some could be severe, with gusts up to 75 mph and a tornado or two. The best chance of severe weather Monday was east of a line from Post to Memphis, with a few lingering storms off the Caprock. The rest of the week was forecast mostly dry with pleasant temperatures. The page listed a High Wind Warning and a Wind Advisory.
West Texas and Permian Basin (NWS Midland/Odessa): A Flash Flood Watch ran Oct. 30 to 31, with many locations having a better than 50% chance of at least 1 inch of rain and a good chance of more than 2 inches from the Permian Basin into the Lower Trans Pecos. Forecast detail for the coming week was not available from the Midland office when this edition was prepared.
Across the Red River (NWS Oklahoma City/Norman): Scattered strong to severe storms were possible Monday morning from the Panhandles into western and northern Oklahoma, with multiple rounds of damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes possible across much of Oklahoma and North Texas Monday and Monday night. Temperatures cooled to near seasonal normal by Tuesday.
National Forecast, Nov. 2 to 8
The National Weather Service's national headline Sunday was a multi-day heavy rain event in the Four Corners, with Pacific storms bringing a flash flood threat, and rain across the Florida peninsula. Ex-Typhoon Champi was forecast to approach the Alaskan west coast. Earlier in the week, a Pacific storm brought rain and high-elevation snow to the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. We could not retrieve a current Weather Prediction Center discussion or National Hurricane Center outlook for this edition, so detail for the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast is limited to the items above.
Fuel
Lowest Posted Jet A Prices at Texas FBOs
AirNav listings checked Nov. 2 showed these as the lowest full-service Jet A prices at the North Texas, Central Texas and Gulf Coast airports we reviewed. Self-service prices are noted where listed.
- Addison (KADS), Galaxy FBO (Phillips 66): $7.05 full service; no update date shown.
- Mesquite Metro (KHQZ), Mesquite Executive Air Center: $7.15 full service, $6.65 self-service; no update date shown.
- Dallas Executive (KRBD), Jet Access Dallas (Titan): $7.25 full service; updated Oct. 28.
- New Braunfels National (KBAZ), City Terminal Flight Services (Avfuel): $8.15 full service, $7.65 self-service; no update date shown.
- McKinney National (KTKI), McKinney Air Center: $8.20 full service, $7.70 self-service; no update date shown.
- Addison (KADS), Million Air Dallas (Avfuel): $8.35 full service; updated Oct. 30.
- Dallas Love Field (KDAL), Signature Aviation Terminal 1: $8.90 full service; updated Oct. 31.
- Addison (KADS), Atlantic Aviation: $9.05 full service; updated Nov. 1.
- Georgetown (KGTU), Cutter Aviation (Avfuel): $9.30 full service; no update date shown.
- Austin Executive (KEDC), Henriksen Jet Center (Phillips 66): $11.25 full service; updated Oct. 27.
- Austin-Bergstrom (KAUS), Signature Aviation: $11.32 full service; updated Oct. 31.
Austin remained the most expensive market we reviewed. Signature at Austin-Bergstrom posted $11.32 on Oct. 31, and Henriksen at Austin Executive posted $11.25 on Oct. 27. Georgetown, 18 nautical miles north of Austin Executive, listed Jet A at $9.30, about $2 per gallon lower. We did not refresh the Atlantic and Million Air Austin listings this week. On Oct. 25 they showed $12.19 and $12.29.
AirNav lists the Galaxy FBO price as guaranteed, and Galaxy shows no update date. Prices at fields we did not review, including Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Lubbock, are not covered in this list.
Fuel Program and Discount Prices
Few FBOs publish contract or program prices, and where we could find them we list them here.
- Galaxy FBO (KADS): Offers tier volume discounts and accepts Phillips 66 Aviation Contract Fuel and World Fuel Rewards. No discounted price is posted.
- Million Air Dallas (KADS): Waives ramp fees with a minimum fuel purchase and accepts Avfuel Contract Fuel, Everest Fuel and the Multi Service Aviation Card. No discounted price is posted.
- Signature Aviation (KDAL, KAUS): Offers a weekend discount of 50 cents per gallon on 100LL at Love Field and weekend discounts at Austin-Bergstrom, and said it will negotiate other discounts on request. At Love Field, the FBO also lists volume fueling discounts.
- Texas Jet (KFTW): Listed AirBoss members at $9.24 for Jet A on Oct. 25, 40 cents below its $9.64 full-service price. We did not refresh that listing this week.
- Cutter Aviation (KGTU), City Terminal Flight Services (KBAZ): Accept Avfuel Contract Fuel, with no discounted price posted.
National Averages
GlobalAir reported Oct. 2 that September's national average was $7.99 per gallon for Jet-A, a record for the year and nearly 28% above a year earlier. The 100LL average was $7.59, and blended SAF was $10.23. We could not load October national averages or settled crude oil prices for this edition.
That's The Brief
The Week in One Sentence: A Learjet 60 that departed Austin-Bergstrom crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine aboard, Textron Aviation delivered 51 jets in the third quarter, Texas charter and fractional departures ran 9% above last year, and Jet A at Addison's Galaxy FBO posted at $7.05 while Austin stayed above $11.
About Our Sources
Crash details came from the FAA, the NTSB and Transportation Secretary Duffy as relayed by NBC 6, CBS Austin, AeroCorner and other news outlets, and from FAA registry information. Business aviation activity figures came from WingX, published through Private Jet Card Comparisons. Company results came from Textron's Oct. 29 filing and Aviation International News, and from Reuters coverage of General Dynamics. Weather forecasts came from the National Weather Service forecast offices in Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio, Houston/Galveston, Midland, Lubbock and Norman. Fuel prices came from AirNav FBO listings and GlobalAir. Each item was checked against a primary source where one was available, and items that could not be confirmed were left out.
