Florida jet crash kills nine
Federal investigators say the Learjet broke apart in the air before hitting a West Palm Beach neighborhood street.
By Adewale Fletcher ·
Nine people died on Sunday when a Learjet crashed into a residential street near Greenacres, Florida. The aircraft exploded upon impact, killing everyone on board. The crash site is located close to West Palm Beach.
A family representative confirmed the identities of the victims on Facebook on Monday. The group included Adam Robinson, Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina. One of the pilots was identified by her mother as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras. Authorities have not yet confirmed the name of the second pilot.
The National Transportation Safety Board began its investigation immediately. Member Tom Chapman held a news conference on Monday to outline the initial findings. Chapman stated that evidence suggests the aircraft began breaking up before it struck the ground. He noted that debris may be found far from the main crash site.
"We do have some indication that the aircraft was breaking up before impact," Chapman said. "We may find parts of the aircraft some distance away from the actual impact site."
Aviation expert Jeff Guzzetti offered a possible explanation for the breakup. He suggested that key tail components may have been lost during turbulence or a nose dive. Guzzetti, a former NTSB and FAA investigator, said losing those parts would make the plane uncontrollable. He described the final approach as having a missile-like profile.
Weather played a central role in the initial review. Rain fell heavily on the region on Sunday. One pilot reported icing at high altitude to air traffic control. Flight data from FlightRadar24 shows the jet flying into a rapidly expanding storm cell. Chapman said investigators must still determine the specific conditions at 35,000 feet.
Investigators are working to recover the cockpit voice recorder. NTSB investigator Timothy Monville said the on-scene work will take several days. He identified the main challenge as extracting the major wreckage from the crater in the roadway.
