NTSB Says Florida Jet Crew Sent Mayday Within 30 Seconds, Killing 9

Q: What triggered the fatal mayday call just 30 seconds after the Learjet crew requested a higher altitude in stormy Florida skies?

It is not yet known. Investigators say the fatal mayday call came as the Learjet abruptly went from reporting worsening weather to a catastrophic loss of control, but the NTSB has not determined what specifically triggered it. What is documented so far is that the crew, flying at about 35,000 feet, reported light clear icing, moderate turbulence and increasing precipitation, then asked to climb to 37,000 feet. Less than 30 seconds later, they transmitted that the aircraft was descending and declared mayday. Air traffic recordings indicate the jet then entered an extreme, rapidly worsening descent and an overspeed condition, with the crew reporting descent rates that climbed from roughly 10,000 feet per minute to 20,000 feet per minute or more. Weather is a central focus of the investigation. Officials are examining whether icing, turbulence, heavy precipitation or nearby storm activity contributed. Investigators have also said there is some evidence the aircraft may have begun breaking up before impact, but they have not confirmed whether that happened in flight or why. So, the mayday appears to have been triggered by a sudden uncontrolled descent and overspeed emergency after the jet encountered deteriorating weather, but the precise cause remains undetermined.

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Nov 2

Nine people died in the Palm Beach County private-jet crash after the crew requested a higher altitude, reported additional precipitation and then issued a mayday less than 30 seconds later, the NTSB said.
Cockpit voice recorder evidence showed the situation deteriorated rapidly; after the mayday, radio transmissions became unintelligible, giving investigators only a narrow window of the final moments.
The board withheld victims' identities, saying local authorities will release names after DNA collection, though CBS News identified 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras as one of the dead.
Stormy weather is also slowing work at the crash site, and the NTSB said a probable cause is unlikely soon because the investigation will be lengthy.