Private jet crash in Florida leaves nine dead and investigation focuses on weather and flight decisions

Nine victims of a private jet crash in Florida over the weekend have been identified by their families, according to Fox Business. Among them are the 20-year-old co-pilot, a technology executive and his wife, Helen, as well as two young children, the family's nanny and two friends. The pilot in command also died.

Weather conditions are the central focus of the investigation. A representative of the authority responsible for the investigation stated that, on the surface, the time was already known, but that it was necessary to determine what was happening at an altitude of 35 thousand feet (about 10.7 thousand meters).

Storm, ice and turbulence

According to the air traffic system mentioned in the report, some storm cells that the aircraft would possibly cross would have reached strong intensity and formed ice. Aviation expert Randy Klatt, interviewed by the channel, explained that pilots' number one rule is to avoid these types of situations and, whenever possible, stay about 20 miles away from large storms.

According to Klatt, the crew worked with air traffic control to obtain diversion vectors and was aware of where the worst of the phenomenon was. The last request made to control was to climb and, after reporting moderate turbulence, the crew reportedly thought about gaining a few thousand feet, up to 37 thousand feet, in search of a smoother flight. He noted that the aircraft had meteorological radar to identify cells and try to bypass them.

What is known about the route

The accident investigating body (NTSB) must examine how traffic control and pilots chose the route and why they did not bypass the storm. Based on the trajectory animations, the crew tried to go over the formation. Klatt said jets of this size can fly higher than the tops of many storms, but not above all. He said he did not know the exact height of the storm's top and believed the NTSB had not yet determined that.

From radar data and trajectory, in Klatt's assessment, the jet appears to have passed through the center of a smaller cell, although the crew was probably trying to fly over it. He explained that these cells can grow quickly and gain thousands of feet with the heat and humidity available in Florida. For the expert, the crew may have thought it possible to go over it and, in the end, was unable to do so, but he emphasized that this is speculation.

Experience and loss of control

There is also attention to the co-pilot, aged 20, who had a pilot's license and had already flown on this aircraft before working at the aviation company. According to Klatt, her voice was heard on communications, which indicates that she was the pilot monitoring, while the commander, in the left seat, was piloting. He highlighted that crew coordination is vital and said he did not know whether the autopilot was engaged, which could have a big effect on the outcome.

The expert explained that, if there was ice accumulation to the point where the autopilot could no longer maintain altitude and speed, the system would disconnect and the pilots would have to take over immediately, which would be a surprise. According to him, the aircraft left a stable flight, had a slight climb and went into immediate descent, something abrupt and unusual. The investigation should gain pace in the coming days.

For the market, the episode does not, for now, have measurable effects on the stock market, interest rates or the dollar. For the business aviation sector, however, the NTSB's findings on weather, route procedures and crew coordination tend to be closely watched.

Automatically translated from Portuguese.