Investigators Examine Weather in Florida Jet Crash That Killed Nine
Federal investigators are examining weather conditions and evidence that a private jet began breaking apart before it crashed in a Palm Beach County neighborhood on Sunday, November 1, killing all nine people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board said the cause of the crash has not been determined.
The Learjet 60 departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas at about 10:37 a.m., bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Seven passengers and two crew members were aboard. At approximately 12:47 p.m., while flying at 35,000 feet, the crew reported light clear ice, moderate turbulence and altitude deviations of about 700 feet.
The crew also reported precipitation and requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet. Air traffic control approved the request. Less than 30 seconds later, the crew reported that the aircraft was descending and issued a mayday call. According to NTSB member Tom Chapman, the crew transmitted that the jet was in an “overspeed condition.” The rest of that message was unintelligible.
The aircraft continued to lose altitude and crashed into a residential area near Cresthaven at about 12:50 p.m. Footage captured the jet descending into the neighborhood and a fireball after impact. Local officials said approximately 600 people were evacuated from a nearby mobile home community.
At a Monday news conference, Chapman said investigators have preliminary indications that the aircraft was breaking apart before impact. They will look for components that may have landed away from the main crash site. Determining the conditions the crew encountered at altitude is also a major focus, he said.
NTSB investigator-in-charge Timothy Manville said work at the scene would take several days. Recovering the main wreckage from a crater in the roadway presents a challenge. The Federal Aviation Administration is assisting the investigation, which remains ongoing.