World · United States of America
FAA sending team to support investigation into Florida Learjet crash
Sean Duffy said the FAA would assist the NTSB investigation into the crash that killed nine. New reporting details the pilot's emergency and overspeed reports.
The FAA is sending a team to assist the NTSB investigation into the Florida Learjet crash that killed nine, according to BBC reporting.
- The pilot reported an emergency, overspeed and a rapidly increasing descent rate.
- The flight was bound for the Bahamas from Austin, Texas.
- About 600 residents were evacuated; no ground casualties were immediately reported.
- The cause remains under investigation.
What's new
- According to the BBC, Sean Duffy announced that an FAA team would assist with the NTSB investigation.
- The BBC reported that the pilot declared an emergency and reported an overspeed condition as the descent reached 20,000 feet per minute.
- Palm Beach County Fire Rescue declared a mass-casualty incident; there were no immediate reports of ground injuries or deaths.
The FAA is sending a team to support the NTSB investigation into the Nov 1 Learjet 60 crash in Palm Beach County, Florida, that killed all nine aboard, Sean Duffy said, according to BBC reporting on Nov 2. The BBC also reported that the pilot declared an emergency and described an overspeed condition during the aircraft's rapid descent.35
Evacuations near the crash site
County authorities evacuated roughly 600 residents from a mobile-home community near the crash site. The Straits Times reported that they were relocated to two shelters in the county. ABC Australia and the BBC reported no immediate reports of injuries or deaths on the ground.2345
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue declared a mass-casualty incident, the BBC reported. The broadcaster said it was not yet clear who had been aboard the aircraft.3
Video showed the aircraft diving nose-first before bursting into flames near a major road, according to The Guardian. The newspaper reported that it came down close to passing vehicles and left a crater in the pavement beside a utility pole.1
The flight originated at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. Aviation International News identified its intended destination as North Eleuthera International Airport in the Bahamas and described the jet as a 2004 Bombardier Learjet 60. Citing FAA records, it gave the registration as N722BD and the registered owner as LR60271 LLC.126
Pilot reported difficult conditions
ABC Australia reported that the pilot described turbulence, icing and rain and requested permission to climb 2,000 feet. The outlet also said the pilot reported turbulence moving the aircraft vertically by as much as 700 feet. The Straits Times reported heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in the area at the time.24
“We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” the pilot said, according to ABC. The BBC reported that the pilot subsequently described a descent of 10,000 feet per minute, then declared an emergency and reported an overspeed condition while descending at 20,000 feet per minute. Aviation International News also reported a mayday call during the rapid loss of altitude.236
ABC Australia and The Straits Times cited Flightradar24 data showing a vertical descent rate above 32,000 feet per minute. The cause remains under investigation; the reported weather and descent data do not establish what caused the crash.24
Federal investigation
The BBC reported on Nov 2 that Sean Duffy announced plans for an FAA team to assist the NTSB investigation at the crash site. The Straits Times reported that the NTSB had launched an investigation, and Aviation International News reported that its investigators were at the scene.346
According to The Straits Times, Bombardier pledged to assist investigators and provide any necessary cooperation. Federal officials were already investigating on Nov 1, according to the Associated Press.45
Why it matters
The crash killed all nine people on a flight from the United States to the Bahamas and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents. The reported weather conditions and cockpit accounts of the rapid descent do not establish the cause, which remains under investigation.24
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Version history
- version 3 · This update adds FAA support for the NTSB investigation, new cockpit emergency details and the mass-casualty declaration, clarifies the absence of immediate ground-casualty reports and updates source references.
- version 2 · This update leads with the NTSB investigation, adds the relocation of evacuees to two shelters and new weather reporting, and corrects source references.
- version 1 ·