The haunting screams of the female pilot as her plane crashed into a densely populated residential area, killing everyone on board in the US.
A Learjet 60 private plane en route from Texas to the Bahamas suddenly crashed at extremely high speed and burst into flames in Florida (USA), killing all nine people on board.
Plane crashes into densely populated residential area, all on board perish in US crash.
The scene after the plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida (USA), on November 1st (Photo: Eduin Cruz/Reuters)
The accident occurred on Sunday afternoon (November 1st, local time) in Palm Beach County, Florida (USA). According to local officials, the Learjet 60 private plane was en route to the Bahamas when it suddenly crashed and burst into flames after hitting the ground.
All nine people on board the plane perished. The identities of the victims, as well as the number of passengers and crew members, have not yet been released.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the moment of the accident as: “It looked like a rocket crashing down.” He said the incident created a large area of debris. No fatalities on the ground have been reported as a result of the accident so far.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the death toll and called it a “horrific tragedy.”
Debris is scattered at the scene of the accident (Photo: Reuters)
According to data from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), this is the second most serious fatal aviation accident in the country this year, following the crash of a parachute jump plane in Butler, Missouri, in June, which killed 12 people.
This is also the most serious accident ever recorded involving a Learjet 60 aircraft, according to data from the Flight Safety Foundation. Previously, in 2008, a Learjet 60 en route to Los Angeles crashed shortly after takeoff in Columbia, South Carolina, killing four people.
According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the ill-fated aircraft was a Learjet 60, departing from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, bound for the Bahamas. The plane was registered under a limited liability company (LLC) in Delaware and was listed as a charter flight online.
The screams of the female pilot on the ill-fated plane.
Audio recordings from air traffic control reveal moments of extreme panic on Learjet 60, a private flight, before the crash.
“Oh my God, we don’t have any time left!” a female pilot screamed over the air traffic control radio just before the plane plummeted vertically to the ground.
Just minutes earlier, the captain had reported to Miami-based Air Traffic Control that the aircraft was experiencing moderate turbulence and slight icing, but that it was “still under control.”
According to VTC News and BNO News, citing a recording of the communication between the flight crew and air traffic control, the pilot sent the emergency signal “Mayday” and reported that the plane was rapidly descending. “We’re about to crash,” the pilot said. The controller responded: “I’m here with you. Talk to me.”
Notably, communication data between the pilots and air traffic controllers shows that the flight crew reported adverse weather conditions just minutes before the accident occurred.
According to the air traffic control transcript recorded by LiveATC.net, the pilot reported icing, outside air temperatures of minus 47 degrees Celsius, and moderate turbulence. The aircraft was shaking, with altitude fluctuating up to approximately 700 feet (213 m).
“We encountered light, clear, and manageable icing, along with moderate air turbulence,” the pilot informed Miami Air Traffic Control.
However, just minutes later, noticing that it was starting to rain and requesting an increase in altitude, the pilot suddenly sent out an emergency signal.
“We’re descending to 8,000 feet. Mayday, mayday! We’re descending at a rate of 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot said in a critical condition.
Shortly afterward, the pilot continued to announce that the plane was falling at a speed of up to 20,000 feet per minute and warned: “We are about to crash to the ground.”
Flight tracking data on the ADS-B Exchange website shows that the Learjet lost approximately 27,000 feet of altitude in just one minute before the tracking signal was lost.
Images captured at the scene by WPBF, a CNN affiliate, show the road surface severely deformed, with a large crater appearing at the point where the plane crashed.
The accident not only caused casualties but also affected the surrounding residential area. Joel Flores, a Palm Beach County Council member, said that approximately 600 people needed shelter due to damage on the ground following the plane crash.
Mr. Flores was the first county official to arrive at the scene. According to him, affected residents were moved to two shelters in the area while authorities conducted an investigation and processed the scene.
A local resident named Andrew Mannino told CNN that he heard a loud bang and felt the tremors. “The power went out immediately and hasn’t come back on yet,” he said.
Mr. Mannino added that he smelled smoke and saw a large dark cloud rising into the air after the incident.
The plane crash site is located near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, about 4 miles south of Palm Beach International Airport.
The FAA and NTSB will cooperate in investigating the incident. NTSB investigators are expected to be on-site on Sunday and Monday (November 2). A press conference is scheduled for Monday to provide further information.
Meanwhile, all northbound and southbound lanes on the Military Trail have been closed indefinitely. Authorities are advising people to avoid the accident area and choose alternative routes.
