A recording of communications between the crew of a Learjet 60 and air traffic controllers reveals the final moments before the aircraft crashed in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. The pilot declared an emergency and later warned: “We are going to hit the ground.”
The audio, obtained by LiveATC, shows the crew reporting turbulence and icing several minutes before the crash. The pilot said the aircraft was out of control and descending at 20,000 feet per minute. Later, the crew reported descending through 22,000 feet with the aircraft tilted at 60 degrees.
The pilot then urged someone identified as Jack to look outside, saying they were running out of time. After the warning that the aircraft would hit the ground, the controller repeatedly tried to establish contact with the crew.
The Learjet crashed in a residential neighborhood near Military Avenue in West Palm Beach and exploded on impact. The nine people aboard died, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. A camera in a passing car recorded the crash.
The private aircraft departed Austin, Texas, at 9:36 a.m. local time bound for the Bahamas. It crashed at 12:50 p.m. local time in Florida.
Flight-tracking data indicated that the aircraft reached a descent rate of up to 30,000 feet per minute, equivalent to about 540 km/h, according to the Associated Press. The cause of the crash remains unknown. An aviation safety specialist told the agency that icing and turbulence may have contributed, while emphasizing that investigators must examine multiple factors.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is expected to investigate the circumstances of the crash.
Sources: Olhar Digital.