NTSB Probes Learjet Crash and Midair Breakup

Investigators say there is evidence that parts of a Learjet 60 may have broken off before it crashed into a highway in Palm Beach, Florida, killing all nine people aboard. The aircraft was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it plunged onto Military Trail, a six-lane road, at about 12:50 local time on Sunday and exploded. A man in a car was injured; no other ground casualties were reported in the article. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is examining the crash, with weather a major focus. Severe storms and heavy rain were reported at the time, and water partially filled the large crater left in the roadway, complicating recovery of the wreckage. Investigators are also determining whether the jet carried a cockpit voice recorder and whether it can be recovered. Air traffic control recordings capture the crew reporting turbulence, icing and precipitation, then calling for a climb. The recordings subsequently include reports of a rapid descent, an emergency and a warning that the aircraft was about to hit the ground. Those killed included technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and nanny Anita Maria Cetina. Pilot Jeffrey Gregory and 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras also died. Family members remembered Robinson and Sharp as devoted parents, and described Cetina as a cherished caregiver and Reed and Fehr as joyful, adventurous friends. Filgueiras had earned her pilot’s licence at 17 and spoke publicly about her enthusiasm for flying. Gregory’s former employer expressed deep sadness at his death. The article combines early details of the investigation with tributes and biographical information about the victims.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says key components of a Learjet 60 that crashed in Palm Beach, Florida, were found between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site. The parts included most of the jet’s left elevator, a tail control surface that helps move the aircraft’s nose up and down. NTSB board member Tom Chapman said investigators believe the pieces came off before impact because they were found so far from the wreckage. He called the finding important evidence, but said investigators have not determined whether the missing elevator contributed to the plane’s descent or separated because of forces acting on the aircraft. They are also examining whether the control surface could function effectively at the aircraft’s speed. The jet was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it plunged onto a multi-lane highway and exploded. Air traffic control recordings capture the crew discussing moderate turbulence, ice and precipitation, and saying they needed to climb. The aircraft then reportedly descended at 10,000 feet per minute. After declaring an emergency, the pilots are heard describing an overspeed condition and a descent of 20,000 feet per minute, before warning that they were going to crash. The NTSB plans to investigate the role of weather. All nine people aboard died: seven passengers, the pilot and the co-pilot. The passengers included tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and nanny Anita Maria Cetina. The pilot was identified in media reports as Jeffrey Gregory, 55, and the co-pilot as Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, who had earned her pilot’s licence at 17. Investigators have faced difficulty accessing the wreckage because of the large crater created by the impact, which Chapman said severely damaged the aircraft.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating whether parts of a Learjet 60 broke off before the aircraft crashed on a street in Florida, killing all nine people aboard. The jet was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas on Sunday when it went down about nine miles from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Among the dead were tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, their two children, and the 20-year-old copilot, Nathalia Filgueiras. A man on the ground was injured. Investigators are examining whether ice and turbulence contributed to the crash. The crew reported encountering precipitation, ice and moderate turbulence after take-off and requested permission to climb. Less than 30 seconds later, the plane began descending and the crew issued a mayday call. In air traffic control audio, a crew member is heard reporting an “overspeed condition” and a descent of 20,000 feet per minute, then warning that the aircraft was going to crash. The last apparent cockpit remark was, “we’re out of time.” Thunderstorms were reported in the area. Officials are also trying to establish whether a cockpit voice recorder was aboard and whether it can be recovered. The NTSB is working with the Federal Aviation Administration, Learjet representatives, meteorologists and air traffic control experts. Investigators say establishing the probable cause will take time, and recovering wreckage from a crater in the roadway will be difficult. Debris was scattered across nearby sports fields, businesses and homes. Officials said the distribution could indicate that the aircraft broke apart before hitting the ground. Unverified social media footage appears to show the crash from a vehicle’s dashcam. The NTSB has not yet determined the cause.

Investigators examining the fatal crash of a Bahamas-bound Learjet 60 in South Florida say three pieces of its tail elevator were found between about two and six kilometres from the impact crater. National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said the parts’ location and condition indicate they separated from the aircraft before it struck the ground, rather than breaking off on impact. The loss of the elevator, which controls the aircraft’s pitch, is an important clue, although Chapman said it is uncertain whether it could have helped the jet recover from its steep, extremely fast descent even if it had remained attached. The plane encountered severe weather Sunday. Co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras told air traffic controllers that ice was accumulating and that turbulence had thrown the aircraft up and down by more than 210 metres. Her stepfather said she had texted her boyfriend about turbulence and ice roughly 10 minutes before the crash. In the flight’s final two minutes, her communications with controllers reportedly shifted from calm updates to urgent calls as the aircraft descended. The jet, which had departed Austin, Texas, was travelling to the Bahamas when it crashed about 11 kilometres southwest of Palm Beach. The impact created a crater, started a fire and scattered debris across a wide area. All nine people aboard died, including technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their two young children, the family’s nanny and the co-pilot. Investigators had to remove a utility pole to reach the wreckage and are working to access the crater, where they expect to find important aircraft components. Chapman described the reconstruction as a large puzzle, noting that even parts in the crater may have been broken into small pieces. Weather is a major focus of the investigation. The NTSB expects to release a preliminary report in about a month, but determining the crash’s cause is likely to take more than a year. The article also notes that cellphone rules for charter pilots differ from those for commercial airline pilots: charter pilots are not supposed to use phones during critical flight phases, though use while cruising is allowed unless company policy or the pilot in command prohibits it.