Learjet may have broken apart mid-air before fatal Florida crash
What's the story
The Learjet 60, carrying nine people, may have started breaking apart mid-air before crashing into a roadway in Florida, according to federal investigators. The aircraft was en route from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it went into a steep nosedive on Sunday. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating possible causes of the crash, including severe weather conditions and potential mechanical issues.
Impact details
Who were the victims of the crash
The crash left a crater and debris field near West Palm Beach.
Among the victims were 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their children Emma (4) and Charlie (2).
The pilot was identified as 55-year-old Jeff Gregory. East Coast Jets confirmed Gregory's identity after he briefly worked with them in 2016-2017.
Investigation focus
NTSB investigating possible causes of crash
The NTSB is looking into whether severe weather, icing conditions at 35,000 feet, and turbulence contributed to the crash.
The aircraft was warned about approaching storms as it entered Florida but still lost altitude rapidly.
Air traffic control recordings show a Mayday was declared as the descent rate increased to around 8,000 feet per minute before communications were lost, and flight-tracking data later showed it eventually plunged at a rate of around 27,000 feet per minute.
Memorial and probe
Recovery efforts complicated due to heavy rainfall
Robinson was a tech entrepreneur who founded RB2B and Retention.com. His wife Sharp was an artist and ceramics entrepreneur.
Their family described them as "devoted parents" with children being "the light of their lives."
Filgueiras's mother confirmed her daughter's death, describing her as responsible and hardworking.
Investigators hope to recover the cockpit voice recorder, but heavy rainfall complicates recovery efforts from the impact crater on the roadway.