NTSB says Learjet breaking up before Florida crash killed 9
Investigators report the aircraft was disintegrating prior to impact in West Palm Beach, where a family of four and five other passengers died.
By Gabriel Qureshi ·
Nine people died when a Learjet crashed into a residential street in Greenacres, Florida, on Sunday. A family representative confirmed that Adam Robinson, Helen Sharp, and their children Emma and Charlie were among the victims. The statement also named Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina. One pilot, 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, was identified by her mother. The identity of the second pilot remains unconfirmed.
National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman told reporters on Monday that evidence suggests the plane started breaking apart before it struck the ground. Chapman noted that debris could be scattered over a wide area. He stated, "We do have some indication that the aircraft was breaking up before impact." Investigators plan to search for components far from the initial crash site.
Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration investigator, offered a technical assessment of the failure. He said key tail components may have been lost during turbulence or the subsequent nose-dive. Guzzetti explained that losing these parts makes the aircraft uncontrollable. He suggested this structural failure could explain the steep, missile-like trajectory observed just before the impact.
Weather conditions are a primary focus of the probe. Rain fell heavily on the region on Sunday. One pilot reported icing at high altitude in communications with air traffic control. FlightRadar24 data combined with the flight path indicates the jet flew into a rapidly expanding storm cell. Chapman said investigators must still determine the specific conditions at 35,000 feet.
The aircraft was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder, which investigators hope to recover. NTSB investigator Timothy Monville described the scene work as a multi-day process. He identified the recovery of major wreckage from the crater in the roadway as the biggest obstacle. Monville said, "We have a lot of work to do on scene."
The crash occurred in a neighborhood near West Palm Beach. The plane hit the street and exploded. All nine occupants perished. Federal agencies continue the investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
Source: KAUU
