Pilot Reported Rapid 20,000-Feet-Per-Minute Descent Before Florida Jet Crash
NTSB investigators state the Learjet began disintegrating in the air, killing all nine people on board near Greenacres on Sunday afternoon.
By Lorenzo Marshall ·
Air traffic control recordings indicate the pilot of a business jet was descending at 20,000 feet per minute shortly before the aircraft crashed in South Florida on Sunday. The rapid drop resulted in the death of all nine people on board the Bahamas-bound Learjet.
National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said at a Monday news conference that evidence suggests the plane started breaking apart before it struck the ground. He noted that investigators expect to find fragments of the aircraft scattered far from the primary impact site in Greenacres, located about 7 miles southwest of West Palm Beach.
Chapman stated, "We do have some indication that the aircraft was breaking up before impact." He added that parts of the plane may be found at a distance from the actual crash location.
The pilot initially reported accumulating ice and moderate turbulence while flying at 35,000 feet. According to recordings obtained by LiveATC.net, the pilot told controllers, "We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence." The pilot then requested permission to climb another 2,000 feet before declaring an emergency.
Seconds later, the pilot radioed that the jet was descending at 8,000 feet per minute, followed by a report of an overspeed condition with a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute. The final transmission before impact was the pilot stating, "We're going to crash into the ground."
Video footage from residents captured the jet banking sharply to the right before slapping into the pavement and erupting in flames. Anthony Blackmon, a neighbor, told NBC affiliate WTVJ that debris hit his house and set the road on fire. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the event as a "cataclysmic plane crash" that left a large crater near the roadway.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel G. Flores said authorities do not have a timeline for when residents can return to their homes. Approximately 77 mobile homes near the site were evacuated to a shelter while investigators examine the scene. Flores stated, "We don't really have a timeline as to when they are going to be able to comb through all the evidence."
Camila Corteleti identified one of the pilots as her daughter, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a 20-year-old who earned her license in 2023. Her license allowed her to fly that model of Learjet but did not authorize her to be in command of the flight. Authorities have not released the names of the other eight victims.
