Federal investigators are examining weather conditions as a key factor in the private jet crash that resulted in nine fatalities in South Florida. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) emphasized the importance of understanding the weather prior to the incident.
NTSB member Tom Chapman stated that initial signs suggest the Learjet 60 began disintegrating before impacting the Palm Beach County neighborhood on Sunday afternoon. Chapman mentioned in a news conference that parts of the aircraft might be located some distance from the main crash site due to this disintegration.
Investigators are closely analyzing the weather at approximately 35,000 feet where the crew encountered icing and moderate turbulence. The crew had been flying under these conditions shortly before the crash.
The jet, which crashed just nine miles from Mar-a-Lago, had earlier departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. It was destined for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas, carrying two crew members and seven passengers.
According to reports, at about 12:47 p.m., the crew mentioned manageable light clear ice and moderate turbulence, experiencing altitude fluctuations near 700 feet. They noted an outside temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius (minus 53 degrees Fahrenheit) and requested clearance to ascend to 37,000 feet.
Though air traffic control approved this request, the jet soon reported descending and issued a mayday call at 12:48 p.m. due to an overspeed condition. The communication forms concluded with the jet losing altitude quickly, eventually crashing around 12:50 p.m. in Cresthaven, Florida, killing all on board.
NTSB investigator-in-charge Timothy Manville noted that the field investigation could take several days given the challenges in recovering wreckage from the impact crater on the road. Dashcam video recorded the jet nosediving into the neighborhood, bursting into flames.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis remarked on the crash’s severity, describing it as catastrophic. The incident also led to the evacuation of around 600 people from a nearby mobile home community. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is also involved in the investigation. A conclusive cause of the crash has yet to be identified.
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