US aviation investigators are examining whether a private jet began breaking apart in the air before crashing into a street in Florida, killing all nine people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the investigation will focus on possible damage to the aircraft before impact. Investigators are also examining whether severe weather, including ice and turbulence, contributed to the disaster.
The Learjet 60 was flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas on Sunday when it crashed near Palm Beach. The aircraft came down on Military Trail, around nine miles (14km) from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
Among the victims were technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two children, Emma and Charlie. Three other passengers, Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina, also died. The 20-year-old copilot, Nathalia Filgueiras, and pilot Jeffery Gregory were also among those killed.
According to the NTSB, the crew contacted air traffic control shortly after departing Austin. They reported encountering ice and moderate turbulence and requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet.
However, the situation rapidly escalated to a critical level. NTSB member Tom Chapman said the aircraft started losing altitude less than 30 seconds after the communication. The crew then sent a mayday call before the transmission became difficult to understand.
Air traffic control recordings reveal the seriousness of the emergency. One crew member reportedly warned that the aircraft was descending at 20,000 feet per minute while experiencing an overspeed condition. Another transmission included a warning that the jet was about to hit the ground. The final words heard from the cockpit appeared to be, “We’re out of time.”
Investigators have confirmed that weather conditions will be an important part of their examination. Thunderstorms were reported in the area around the time of the crash. However, officials have warned that identifying the exact cause will take considerable time.
The NTSB is also checking whether the aircraft carried a cockpit voice recorder and whether it can be recovered. Investigators are working alongside the Federal Aviation Administration, Learjet representatives, meteorologists, and air traffic control specialists.
Recovering the wreckage is expected to be difficult. Timothy Monville, an NTSB air safety investigator, described the operation as a major challenge because much of the aircraft ended up inside a large crater in the roadway.
The crash also damaged nearby areas. Debris was scattered across sports fields, businesses, and residential properties. One person on the ground suffered a leg injury, but no other ground casualties were reported. Trump was at Mar-a-Lago earlier that morning and had left from a nearby airport aboard Air Force One approximately an hour before the accident.
