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Florida Plane Crash Kills 9, Including Family With Two Young Children
A Learjet 60 crashed near Greenacres, Florida, killing nine people. The NTSB is investigating after the crew reported ice and turbulence.
Florida Plane Crash Kills 9, Including Family With Two Young Children
A private jet crashed near a residential area in Florida, USA, on November 1, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft burst into flames after hitting the ground near Greenacres, in Palm Beach County. The aircraft was a Learjet 60. It had taken off from Austin, Texas, at around 10:37 am local time and was flying to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. There were seven passengers and two pilots on board.
What Happened Before the Plane Crashed?
The plane was flying at around 35,000 feet when the crew reported problems to air traffic control. The pilot reported ice forming on the aircraft and moderate turbulence. The crew also said the plane was experiencing sudden changes in altitude. As the weather conditions worsened, the crew reported encountering precipitation and asked permission to climb to 37,000 feet. Air traffic control approved the request. However, less than 30 seconds later, the aircraft began losing altitude rapidly.
The pilot first reported that the plane was descending at 8,000 feet per minute. The crew then sent a Mayday call, which is an emergency message used by pilots when an aircraft is in serious danger. The descent became even faster. The pilot reported that the aircraft was descending at 10,000 feet per minute and later at 20,000 feet per minute.
In the final moments, the pilot said, “We're going to crash into the ground.” At around 12:50 pm, the Learjet crashed near Military Trail in the Greenacres area. It hit the ground with great force, burst into flames and left a large crater in the road.
Who Were the People on Board?
Among the passengers were technology businessman Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, and their two children, Emma, aged 4, and Charlie, aged 2. The family was travelling with three other passengers. All seven passengers and both pilots died in the crash.
One of the pilots was 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras. Her family confirmed her death. Nathalia received her private pilot's licence in 2023, when she was 17 and studying at West Boca Raton Community High School in Florida. She later worked as a commercial pilot and was serving as the co-pilot on this flight.
Hundreds of Residents Forced to Leave Their Homes
The crash also affected people living near the site. Around 600 residents from a nearby mobile home community had to leave their homes while emergency teams worked in the area.
A man who was driving close to the crash site also suffered a leg injury. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the area and described the crash as a major tragedy. He said the aircraft looked like “a missile going down” and had left a large crater beside the road. Military Trail remained closed as emergency teams and investigators worked at the site.
Heavy rain had filled the crater with water, making it difficult for investigators to reach the main wreckage. Officials said recovering the wreckage and examining the site could take several days.
What Have Investigators Found So Far?
On November 2, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the agency investigating the crash, shared its first findings. Investigators said they had found evidence that parts of the aircraft may have broken off before it hit the ground. They are also examining the weather conditions, including the ice and turbulence reported by the crew.
The NTSB said maintenance records showed that a cockpit voice recorder had been installed on the aircraft. However, investigators were still checking whether it was on board at the time of the crash and whether they could recover it. The recording could help investigators understand what happened inside the cockpit during the final moments of the flight.
The exact cause of the crash remains unknown. The investigation is ongoing.