The latest communications between the crew of a Learjet 60 and Miami air traffic control reveal the dramatic moments leading up to the accident that occurred this Sunday, November 1, in Palm Beach County, Florida, where all nine people on board lost their lives.
The recordings, shared by LiveATC.net and reported by various U.S. media outlets, allow us to reconstruct how an initially routine conversation about weather conditions turned into an emergency when the aircraft started losing altitude at an extreme rate.
“We're going to crash to the ground!”, warned the pilot during the last seconds of the flight, as the controller tried to maintain communication and offer assistance.
The private plane, identified by the registration N722BD, had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
The first warnings: ice and turbulence
Before the emergency, the Learjet was flying at an altitude of about 35,000 feet when the crew reported to the Miami Air Traffic Control Center that it was encountering adverse weather conditions.
“We have clear and light ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” the pilot reported.
The controller asked about the outside temperature and received a response that it was minus 47 degrees Celsius.
They informed him from the ground that they were coordinating his entry into the airspace and that he should communicate any needs for assistance.
The crew also asked if they would encounter more favorable conditions during the flight. Subsequently, they reported that they were experiencing precipitation and requested permission to ascend to flight level 370, equivalent to about 37,000 feet.
The controller authorized the ascent and instructed to maintain the course, taking into account the presence of other air traffic.
However, shortly after receiving that authorization, the aircraft began to descend sharply.
"Mayday, mayday": the emergency begins
The first distress call reflected the seriousness of the situation.
"We are descending 8,000... Mayday, mayday. We are descending 10,000 feet per minute," the pilot alerted.
The controller acknowledged receipt of the message while the crew attempted to communicate the rate at which the aircraft was losing altitude.
Seconds later, a new warning arrived: «We are in a state of overspeed, descending 20,000 feet per minute».
The crew formally declared the emergency and identified the aircraft by its radio call sign, November 722 Bravo Delta.
From the ground, the controller responded that they could select the altitude they needed and asked them to indicate what kind of assistance they required.
The following communication was even more alarming. “We are going to crash to the ground!”, warned the pilot.
The controller attempted to maintain radio contact.
"I'm here with you, talk to me," he responded. The crew continued to describe the situation of the plane: "We are descending 22,000 feet and turning 60 degrees."
The figures mentioned in the communications described the extreme descent and the tilt of the aircraft during the emergency.
"Time is up!": the last communications
The recording captures screams coming from the aircraft while the controller continued to seek answers.
In one of the transcripts circulated by the press, a voice exclaims: "Look outside, Jack, look outside!"
Among the last words attributed to the crew is the phrase “We have run out of time!”.
The controller continued to call the Learjet by its radio call sign and asked if they could hear him, but he received no further responses.
The communications ended just before the aircraft struck the ground.
A fall of more than 26,000 feet in just over a minute
The flight tracking data shows that the Learjet experienced an extraordinarily rapid descent before disappearing from tracking systems.
The aircraft recorded a vertical descent speed exceeding 32,000 feet per minute, equivalent to approximately 585 kilometers per hour.
Available records indicate that it lost approximately 26,700 feet of altitude in about 70 seconds.
The plane ended up crashing near the intersection of Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, in the Greenacres area, south of West Palm Beach.
Images captured by vehicle cameras passing through the area show the aircraft descending almost vertically, followed by a large explosion upon impact.
The accident left a deep crater beside the highway, scattered debris from the aircraft, and damage to a mobile home community.
Authorities evacuated approximately 600 residents from the area while emergency teams dealt with the fire and secured the site.
Nine deceased and a federal investigation
The U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, confirmed the death of the nine individuals who were on board.
The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis compared the plane's crash to that of a missile and emphasized the size of the crater caused by the impact.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is participating in the investigations led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is responsible for determining the circumstances and causes of the accident.
The aircraft, a Bombardier Learjet 60, was registered to LR60271 LLC, a company based in Delaware.
Bombardier expressed its condolences and announced its cooperation with the investigating authorities.
Although communications reveal that the crew had reported ice formation, turbulence, and precipitation, it has still not been determined what caused the loss of control of the aircraft.
Investigators will need to analyze the flight records, communications, and wreckage of the aircraft to determine the sequence of events that led to the accident.
As of the closing of this report, the authorities have not officially released the identities of the nine victims.
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