'We're Out of Time': Deadly Learjet Crash in Florida Kills 9
A business plane Learjet 60, which was taking off from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera Airport, Bahamas, crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida on November 1. There were nine passengers onboard the airplane. It crashed in an area near Greenacres, west of West Palm Beach.
There was a big fireball at the scene, and the debris was scattered along a road near the mobile home neighborhood. The air traffic control tapes that have been made public since the crash revealed that the pilot and co-pilot communicated about turbulence and icing problems before the plane started its rapid descent. One of the last communications they made contained the message “We’re out of time.”
Learjet 60 Crashes in Florida Residential Area
The aircraft went down at around 12:50 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, according to the FAA. The Learjet 60 took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas with the destination being North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
The plane crashed close to a housing area in Palm Beach County and crashed into the ground near a road, with the plane bursting into flames. Videos from the crash site showed a huge fireball and thick smoke emanating from the area where the crash happened. The US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that all the nine passengers of the aircraft had lost their lives. It is not clear whether any one person got injured on the ground. Reuters
Final Air Traffic Control Audio Captures Mayday Calls
Air traffic control recordings of the flight showed that the crew reported moderate turbulence and icing before the crisis escalated. In the beginning, the pilot reported icing as controllable while trying to find better flying conditions. Just a few seconds after that, the crew reported rainfall and asked for a climb.
After that, the situation quickly escalated. The pilot made a Mayday call reporting that the plane is descending at 10,000 feet per minute. Only a few seconds later, the crew called an emergency and reported overspeed with the descending speed of 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot then said, “We’re going to crash into the ground.” The last report contained the phrase, “We’re out of time.” Reuters
Hundreds of Residents Evacuated After Crash
The crash occurred near a trailer park situated in Palm Beach County. The local emergency teams relocated about 600 people from their homes into different locations as a safety measure.
Ron DeSantis, who is Florida’s governor, referred to the accident as “cataclysmic plane crash,” considering its effect on the location.A huge hole was created near the road, and parts of the wreckage were scattered around. This led to fires being ignited in the surrounding areas.
FAA and NTSB Investigate the Deadly Crash
The FAA and the NTSB are currently carrying out an investigation into the incident. According to expectations, the NTSB will be examining the remains of the aircraft, the flight logs, weather information, and communication from the air traffic controllers in order to get to know exactly what transpired during the last minutes of the flight.
The pilots’ claims about icing, turbulence and rapid descent rates will form part of the data considered by the investigators. But at this time, the reason for the crash has not been established. The investigation will try to understand why the Learjet descended so fast and if there were any factors that caused the crash.
Source: FAA / NTSB reporting via Reuters
Author: Kevin Macmellon
