The key facts
- Learjet 60 (N722BD) crashed on November 1 in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, killing all 9 people on board
- The crew reported icing at a temperature of −47 °C, then a descent of up to 20,000 feet per minute
- The aircraft was flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas and went down in a residential area, starting a fire
What is known about the crash
A Learjet 60 business jet with registration number N722BD crashed on November 1 in the city of Greenacres, Palm Beach County, Florida. The aircraft was flying from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. The plane went down in a residential area, and a fire broke out after the impact. There were nine people on board, all of whom died. This was reported by Life.ru.
Crew communications with the controller
After the crash, a transcript of the radio exchange was published. According to the outlet, the crew first reported moderate turbulence. The controller asked for the outside air temperature: the pilot reported minus 47 degrees Celsius and added that the crew was fighting icing, asking to be informed if conditions improved ahead. Later, the aircraft entered an area of precipitation, and the pilot requested a climb to flight level FL370 (37,000 feet) — the controller approved the maneuver.
Rapid descent
Soon the nature of the communications changed dramatically. First, the crew reported descending at a rate of 8,000 feet per minute; then the pilot stated they were exceeding speed limits and losing altitude at 20,000 feet per minute. The controller suggested acting at the crew's discretion and asked what assistance was needed. 'We're going to hit the ground. Look outside, Jeff, look outside! Damn it, we're out of time,' the pilot said, according to Life.ru. After that, the controller tried several times to contact the aircraft but received no response.
What remains unclear
The published recording captures only the radio exchange during the final minutes of the flight: it contains reports of icing, precipitation, and a rapid loss of altitude, but no explanation of the cause of the crash. Official conclusions of the investigation have not yet been presented in the available publications.
