A private jet that nosedived onto a Florida roadway, killing all nine people aboard, has prompted a federal investigation.
The National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency that investigates transportation accidents, sent a “go-team” of rapid-response technical specialists to examine Sunday’s crash of the Learjet 60 in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, the agency said.
The NTSB is leading the investigation, with support from the Federal Aviation Administration.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the FAA said all nine people aboard were killed. Authorities have not identified the victims or said what caused the crash.
The jet left Austin, Texas, bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas, the FAA said. It crashed about 12:50 p.m. on Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
The impact left a fiery crater in the road and scattered debris near a mobile home community.
Before the crash, the pilot told air traffic controllers, “We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” according to recordings captured by LiveATC.net. The crew then reported precipitation and requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet.
Moments later, the pilot declared an emergency.
“We’re descending 8,000 — mayday, mayday — we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot said.
The pilot then reported an “overspeed condition” and a descent of “20,000 feet per minute.”
“We’re going to crash into the ground,” the pilot said.
The aircraft’s reported rate of descent exceeded 32,000 feet per minute, according to Flightradar24. The last altitude the tracking service received was 8,750 feet.
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