Learjet Breaks Up in Mid-Air Before Striking West Palm Beach Street
Nine passengers and crew were killed when the aircraft crashed into a residential area on November 1, according to federal investigators.
By Anthony Lawson ·
Nine people lost their lives when a Learjet crashed into a street in Greenacres, Florida, on November 1. The aircraft exploded upon impact in a neighborhood close to West Palm Beach. A family representative confirmed the identities of the eight passengers aboard the flight.
The statement, posted on Facebook, listed Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp, along with their children Emma and Charlie. It also named Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina as among those killed. Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, was identified as one of the pilots by her mother. The identity of the second pilot has not yet been confirmed.
National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman addressed reporters on Monday regarding the investigation. He stated that evidence indicates the aircraft began disintegrating before it hit the ground. Chapman noted that debris may be scattered far from the actual impact 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 safety expert Jeff Guzzetti suggested that key tail components may have been lost during turbulence or a nose dive. Guzzetti, a former investigator for the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration, explained that losing these parts would make the airplane uncontrollable. He said this loss could explain the missile-like profile of the jet just before it struck the pavement.
Investigators will focus heavily on weather conditions. Rain fell heavily on the region on Sunday, and one pilot reported icing at high altitude in communications with air traffic control. FlightRadar24 data combined with flight paths suggests the plane flew directly into a rapidly expanding storm cell. Chapman said investigators still must determine the specific conditions at 35,000 feet.
The plane was originally equipped with a cockpit voice recorder that investigators hope to recover. NTSB investigator Timothy Monville described the on-site work as a multi-day process. He identified the recovery of major wreckage from the roadway crater as the biggest obstacle.
