Audio recordings from air traffic control have shed light on the final moments of a business jet that crashed in Florida this past Sunday, claiming the lives of all nine people on board. The Learjet 60, which had departed from Austin, Texas, and was bound for the Bahamas, encountered worsening weather conditions during the flight. According to aviation authorities, the pilot reported dealing with ice and moderate turbulence shortly before the tragedy. The Learjet 60 left from Austin, Texas, and was en route to the Bahamas when the pilot began to report weather and turbulence issues, according to the FAA. Which officials believe may have been a factor in the crash, the pilot made multiple distress calls amid the severe weather. She was featured in a 2023 report by CBS affiliate WPEC.
The pilot’s communications escalated quickly as the situation on the aircraft deteriorated.
In one recorded transmission, the pilot stated, “We’re managing the ice, but it is moderate turbulence.
As the flight progressed, the messages became increasingly desperate. The pilot declared a “Mayday” emergency, reporting a rapid descent of 10,000 feet per minute. Moments later, the pilot radioed that the aircraft had reached an overspeed condition and was falling at 20,000 feet per minute. 722 Bravo Delta, we’re descending 8,000, Mayday, Mayday, we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot said.
Flight data indicates that the jet was traveling at approximately 9,000 feet before it entered a final, fatal nosedive. The aircraft struck a busy road in Palm Beach County, creating a massive crater and igniting a significant fireball upon impact. While everyone inside the plane perished, ground-level casualties were avoided, though the National Transportation Safety Board noted that one person on the ground sustained a leg injury. The last data broadcast from the aircraft showed it was flying at an altitude of nearly 9,000 feet and then nosedived at a speed of more than 32,000 feet per minute — about 363 mph.
Officials have identified the captain as 55-year-old Jeffrey Gregory, while 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras served as the co-pilot. The passengers were identified by their families as Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp, an Austin-based couple, along with their two young children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2. Also aboard were passengers Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina. Several sources have confirmed to that Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, was the co-pilot of the plane. The captain was identified as Jeffrey Gregory, 55, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter and a manifest obtained by CBS.
Robert Sumwalt, a former NTSB chair and transportation safety expert, explained that ice accumulation on wings can be catastrophic for a plane’s flight performance. He noted that ice not only increases the weight of the aircraft but also disrupts the critical airflow across the wing surfaces, which can lead to a loss of control that is extremely difficult to recover from once it begins.
The NTSB is currently leading the investigation into the crash. Board member Tom Chapman indicated during a press briefing that there are preliminary signs suggesting the jet may have begun to break apart before it struck the ground, potentially scattering wreckage across a wider area than the primary impact site.
Nearby residents who witnessed the crash described a terrifying scene. Aki Kuusisto, who was in the vicinity, reported hearing a loud whistle followed by a booming impact that was powerful enough to be felt inside a nearby vehicle. Other witnesses reported that the force of the crash caused homes to shake and lights to flicker throughout the neighborhood. According to it felt like it was right next to us,”, Aki Kuusisto. “Like driving down the road, we heard the whistle and the boom and you could feel it in the car, it was that close.
