Learjet 60 Crash in Green Acres: Pilot Reports Ice and Turbulence Before Impact
All nine people aboard a private jet from Austin died when the aircraft fell from 35,000 feet into a South Florida neighborhood on Sunday.
By Lorenzo Patterson ·
A private Learjet 60 crashed into the Green Acres neighborhood in South Florida on Sunday afternoon, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft, which had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, was en route to the Bahamas when it fell from an altitude of 35,000 feet.
Air traffic control recordings show the pilot reporting accumulating ice and severe turbulence during the flight. The pilot stated that the jet was experiencing manageable ice and moderate turbulence before the situation worsened. Rain was falling in the region at the time of the crash.
The pilot requested permission to climb 2,000 feet but quickly declared an emergency as the plane lost altitude rapidly. The pilot radioed that the aircraft was descending 10,000 feet per minute and later reported an overspeed condition with a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot acknowledged that the jet was going to crash into the ground just before impact.
The aircraft banked sharply to the right before slamming into the ground and exploding. A resident named Anthony Blackmon, who lives near the crash site, described the scene to NBC affiliate WTVJ. He stated that debris hit his house and that the road was on fire. Blackmon noted that he had never expected such an event to happen so close to his home.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths on the ground. He described the crash as cataclysmic, comparing the fall to a missile going down and noting the large crater it left. Palm Beach County authorities evacuated approximately 600 people from a nearby mobile home community.
Federal investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash. NTSB officials are scheduled to hold a news conference in West Palm Beach on Monday to provide updates. Authorities have not yet released the names of the nine individuals who died.
Source: WTOP News
