A Learjet 60 bound from Austin, Texas to the Bahamas crashed into a six‑lane highway in Palm Beach, Florida, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft nosedived and exploded on Military Trail around 12:50 p.m. local time, scattering debris across nearby businesses, sports fields and homes.
Investigators from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report that the jet may have broken apart in the air before impact. “We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact,” said Tom Chapman, NTSB investigator. The wreckage is difficult to recover because the jet created a large crater on the roadway, which is partially filled with water from recent heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.
Dashcam footage and air‑traffic‑control recordings show the plane descending at an alarming rate. A pilot voice was heard reporting “moderate turbulence,” “managing the ice,” and later “we are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 ft per minute.” The crew declared an emergency before the aircraft crashed.
The passengers included tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two children, Emma (4) and Charlie (2). Other victims were Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr, Anita Maria Cetina, and 20‑year‑old copilot Nathalia Filgueiras, who earned her pilot’s license at 17. The pilot was identified in media reports as Jeffery Gregory. A passenger in a nearby car sustained a leg injury.
Officials are also searching for the cockpit voice recorder and any parts of the aircraft that may have drifted away from the impact site. The NTSB will focus on weather conditions, including severe storms and ice, as potential contributing factors.
Source: BBC World
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