Learjet crash in Florida leaves nine dead and NTSB opens investigation without finding a cause

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that the nine people aboard a Learjet 60 died when the aircraft crashed on Sunday, November 1, at approximately 12:51 pm ET, in Palm Beach County, near West Palm Beach, Florida. According to the Fox Business broadcast, the agency has not yet determined the cause and said it will not speculate about it.

The jet, operated by Aurora Aviation, which operates as Upper Jets, on flights governed by Part 135 of the FAA regulations, took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at 10:37 am bound for North Eleuthera, in the Bahamas. It carried two crew and seven passengers. A team of around 20 investigators began arriving on Sunday night.

What the crew reported

At 12:47 p.m., the crew informed air traffic control that they were experiencing light and clear ice, considered controllable, and moderate turbulence. The aircraft was at 35,000 feet, with altitude variations of around 700 feet and an external temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius. Shortly afterwards, the pilots said they were capturing precipitation and asked to climb to 37,000 feet, which was authorized.

Less than 30 seconds later, a transmission announced a descent, followed by an emergency call (Mayday). At approximately 12:48 p.m., the crew said the aircraft was in an overspeed condition, and subsequent communications described a rapid descent.

The NTSB said there is evidence that the aircraft fragmented before impact, but is still seeking confirmation. Asked whether control surfaces, such as the horizontal stabilizer, could have come loose, board member Tom Chapman responded that "they could have." The agency also did not confirm whether the plane crossed an active storm, and said that weather conditions at altitude still need to be determined.

Research and local impact

Lead investigator Timothy Monville, who has nearly 40 years of experience, said work at the site will take several days. The biggest obstacle will be recovering the main debris from the crater opened on the road, which accumulated water. The wreckage is scattered over an area about a half mile by 4/10 of a mile, among baseball fields, businesses and homes. A man passing by in a car suffered a leg injury.

Regarding the cockpit voice recorder, maintenance records indicate that one was installed, but the NTSB does not know if it was still on board. The agency also said it has no evidence of a history of accidents of this type with this model, but will look for trends. According to the NTSB, there is no precise speed of the aircraft, only the information that it was high.

County Commissioner Joel Flores said about 77 mobile homes have been evacuated and residents are in shelters or with relatives. A county administrator spoke of hundreds of evacuees, and the county declared a state of emergency, in anticipation of a decree from the governor that would allow more resources to be released. Authorities are also studying support measures for companies in the area, which is next to a shopping mall.

For the investor, the episode does not, so far, have direct measurable implications for the stock market, interest rates or exchange rate. Monitoring should focus on developments in the investigation, which the NTSB itself describes as a long process, and the local cost of the emergency, which the county intends to cover with state emergency resources.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.