NTSB investigator: Evidence suggests parts of jet broke apart before Florida crash
Crash and early findings
The business jet plunged into the ground in Greenacres, about 7 miles southwest of West Palm Beach, and exploded Sunday afternoon. Passerby video showed the aircraft banking sharply before the crash. All nine people aboard died.
National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said Monday there were signs the plane began breaking up before impact. He said investigators may locate pieces some distance from the crash site.
Residents evacuated nearby
The crash left a crater and fire at the site, while thick smoke rose above the area. Anthony Blackmon, who lives nearby, told WTVJ that debris struck his house and the road was on fire.
About 77 mobile homes were in the area, and their residents were evacuated to a shelter, Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel G. Flores said. He said officials did not know when residents could return, as crews still needed to examine the scene.
Flight reported problems
The private aircraft had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to the Bahamas. It was flying east at 35,000 feet when the pilot reported icing and turbulence, according to air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC.net.
The pilot requested permission to climb another 2,000 feet, then declared an emergency as the jet rapidly lost altitude. The pilot reported descending at 8,000 feet per minute, then 10,000 and 20,000 feet per minute, before saying the aircraft would crash.
Pilot and victims identified
Authorities had not released the names of those who died. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said the death investigation was in its early stages and declined to discuss it.
The article identifies one pilot as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, whose pilot's license showed she was rated to fly that Learjet model but not to command the flight. Her father, Allan Filgueiras, told The Associated Press he was not prepared to speak. The article's account of her age is internally inconsistent: it also says she earned her license in 2023 as a 17-year-old senior.
Key points
- All nine people aboard the Bahamas-bound jet died in the Greenacres crash.
- NTSB member Tom Chapman said evidence points to the aircraft breaking up before impact.
- About 77 mobile homes were evacuated, and officials gave no return timeline.
- The pilot reported icing and turbulence before declaring an emergency.