By Fortune Mbonu
Nine people have been killed after a Learjet 60 crashed in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, Florida, while travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.
The aircraft, which was carrying two crew members and seven passengers, reportedly encountered severe weather conditions, including turbulence and ice accumulation, before losing altitude and plunging into a residential neighbourhood on Sunday.
According to preliminary information, the pilots declared an emergency as the aircraft descended rapidly. The cockpit recording reportedly captured one of the crew members saying, “We’re going to crash into the ground” shortly before impact.
Among the victims were 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife and their two young children.
The crash sparked a massive fire and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents from nearby homes. One person on the ground also sustained injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the disaster, with weather conditions, possible mechanical problems and the aircraft’s flight data among the areas being examined.
Investigators have yet to establish the definitive cause of the crash.
