Learjet May Have Entered Powerful Storm Minutes Before Fatal Florida Crash

The Learjet appears to have entered a strong storm just minutes before it plunged into a Florida road, killing all nine people aboard. The Washington Post reported the storm finding as investigators began piecing together the final moments of Sunday’s flight. Earlier accounts also noted the jet passed through a stronger storm cell shortly before its sudden descent, but no cause has been established. ^2,10

The storm came as the Learjet 60 flew from Austin, Texas, toward the Bahamas. The crew first reported moderate turbulence and ice, then said it was picking up rain and needed to climb. Within moments, air traffic control recordings captured a mayday call and warnings that the plane was descending at 10,000, then 20,000 feet per minute. Flight data showed a rate above 32,000 feet per minute before tracking stopped. The last cockpit words were, “We’re out of time.” ^9,10

Reports of ice and turbulence matter because both can make a plane harder to control, but they do not explain why this jet fell so fast. A storm may have added to the danger, yet investigators have not said whether it played a part. The crash left a crater and debris across the Palm Beach County scene. About 600 nearby residents were evacuated, though officials reported no injuries on the ground. ^2,7,10

That unanswered question now rests with the National Transportation Safety Board, the lead federal agency investigating the crash, with the Federal Aviation Administration also involved. One victim, co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, was identified by her family; she had earned her pilot’s license at 17 and had worked as a commercial pilot for nine months. The NTSB held a briefing Monday and is examining the wreckage, flight data and weather to determine what happened. ^1,6,9