A private Learjet 60 carrying nine people crashed into a neighbourhood in southern Florida on Sunday and burst into flames, narrowly missing homes near a busy road. Everyone on board was killed, US transportation secretary Sean Duffy said.
People in nearby cars filmed the aircraft falling from the sky before it hit the ground near a Palm Beach County road and exploded. Thick black smoke covered the crash site.
ALSO READ | 'Mayday, Mayday!': Final cockpit audio emerges after Learjet crash kills 9 in Florida
A blow-by-blow account of Florida jet crash
- The federal aviation administration (FAA) said the aircraft had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was travelling to the Bahamas.
- The jet was flying east at 35,000 feet (10,668 metres) when the pilots reported turbulence, icing and precipitation. They asked to climb another 2,000 feet (610 metres).
- “We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” the pilot told controllers, as heard in an audio recording from a Miami air traffic control centre, posted on LiveATC, a website that broadcasts air traffic control communications.
- Conditions worsened quickly. The pilot declared an emergency as the aircraft began to lose altitude rapidly. “We’re descending 8,000 – mayday, mayday - we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot radioed.
- Air traffic control recordings and flight tracking data showed it dropping at 10,000 feet per minute, then 20,000 feet per minute and eventually up to 30,000 feet per minute, exceeding its design limits.
- “We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute,” the pilot radioed before saying, “We’re going to crash into the ground.”
- The explosion sent flames and smoke into the air. Emergency crews were left to deal with burning wreckage and debris spread across the site.
- The impact also created a large crater in the road, narrowly missing nearby homes and passing vehicles.
What led to the crash?
Deep Dive
What did the final cockpit audio reveal before the Florida Learjet crash?
What caused the Learjet 60 to crash in Florida?
Where did the Florida Learjet crash, and what happened at the site?
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash. Authorities have not released the identities of the nine victims. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
{{/usCountry}}The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash. Authorities have not released the identities of the nine victims. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
{{/usCountry}}Steve Arroyo, an aviation safety expert, told news agency AP that icing and turbulence could have contributed to the crash. He said they may have caused the jet to stall while cruising at 34,000 feet (10,363 metres).
Arroyo said investigators would examine several possible factors, including how the pilot responded to the icing and turbulence reported over the radio. He added that the NTSB would not rule anything out at this early stage.
With inputs from agencies