NTSB Says 9-Killed Learjet 60 Broke Up Before Crash as Weather at 35,000 Feet Draws Focus
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Nov 2
NTSB Says 9-Killed Learjet 60 Broke Up Before Crash as Weather at 35,000 Feet Draws Focus
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 2
Summary
Investigators said Monday the Learjet 60 that crashed in a Palm Beach County neighborhood showed preliminary signs of breaking apart before impact, killing all nine people aboard.
At about 35,000 feet, the crew reported icing, moderate turbulence and precipitation, then requested a climb to 37,000 feet; less than 30 seconds after clearance, they declared a mayday, citing an overspeed descent.
The jet had left Austin around 10:37 a.m. for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas and crashed near Cresthaven about 12:50 p.m., with investigators saying debris may be found away from the impact site.
Recovery crews face a difficult wreckage extraction from a roadway crater, while the crash also forced about 600 residents to evacuate a nearby mobile home community.
The NTSB and FAA are still determining the cause, with weather conditions at altitude now a central line of inquiry in the on-scene investigation.