Weather has emerged as a central line of inquiry after a Learjet 60 crashed into a neighbourhood in southern Florida, killing nine people on board, US transportation investigators said.
Speaking at a briefing, Tom Chapman of the National Transportation Safety Board laid out the jet’s final trip. The aircraft departed Austin, Texas at 3.37pm Irish time on Sunday, bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas, before it went down in Palm Beach County.
All nine occupants — a pilot, a co-pilot and seven passengers — were killed in the crash. Authorities have not released their identities, saying genetic analysis is required.
US media identified the co-pilot as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgeiras, who received her pilot’s licence at 17.
Ms Filgeiras had already logged 1,300 flight hours and started working about nine months ago for a charter plane company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Investigators have not yet determined who was at the controls when the aircraft ran into trouble.
An audio recording posted to air traffic website liveatc.net captures a voice from the cockpit reporting “moderate turbulence” and telling controllers the crew was “managing the ice”.
In the recording, the speaker says the plane was “picking up precipitation” and needed “to climb” before issuing a distress call:
“Mayday, mayday, we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute.”
Mr Chapman said those statements were made to air traffic controllers.
Maintenance records indicate the jet previously had a cockpit recorder installed. However, the NTSB does not know whether it was on board at the time of the crash or whether investigators will be able to recover it, Mr Chapman said.
NTSB investigator Tim Monville said one driver near the crash site was also injured.
NTSB officials said Aurora Aviation operated the aircraft under the name Upper Jets.
Representatives of the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
According to Jettly, the Bombardier aircraft entered service in 2004 and underwent renovations in 2018.
