In Palm Beach County, Florida, a private jet crashed in a residential area, resulting in the deaths of all nine people on board.
According to Fox News, the Learjet 60 went down around 12:50 p.m. local time on November 1. The aircraft was en route from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that there were two crew members and seven passengers on board.
Flight data released by the NTSB indicates that the aircraft took off from Austin at 10:37 a.m. and was flying at 35,000 feet when it reported light icing, moderate turbulence, and altitude fluctuations of about 700 feet at 12:47 p.m. The pilot communicated that the outside temperature was minus 47 degrees and requested to climb to 37,000 feet, which air traffic control approved. Less than 30 seconds later, the pilot reported descending and issued a 'mayday' call at 12:48 p.m. NTSB Commissioner Tom Chapman stated that the pilot communicated they were 'descending at an excessive speed.'
During a briefing on November 2, Chapman noted, 'There are signs that the aircraft was disintegrating before the crash,' adding that debris could be found far from the impact site. He described the weather conditions the aircraft encountered at altitude as a 'major focus of the investigation.' The NTSB investigation manager indicated that recovering major wreckage from the crater created on the road due to the crash would be the biggest challenge, and the site investigation could take several days. The cause of the accident has not yet been determined.
The moment of the crash was captured by a nearby vehicle's dashcam. The footage shows the aircraft falling almost vertically before exploding and being engulfed in flames, leaving a large crater on the road. Local authorities evacuated approximately 600 residents from a nearby mobile home community.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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