A Learjet 60 may have broken apart in mid-air moments before crashing into a neighbourhood in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people on board, including pilots Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp and seven others. The November 1 crash is under investigation, with fresh details emerging about the aircraft's final moments.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), investigators have found evidence suggesting that the aircraft may have suffered a structural breakup before hitting the ground.
"We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact," NTSB official Tom Chapman was quoted as saying by the BBC. "We may find parts of the aircraft some distance away from the actual impact site."
Investigators are examining whether ice accumulation on the aircraft, combined with thin air at high altitude, contributed to a loss of lift and caused the jet to stall.
According to an audio recording of the communication, co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras initially appeared calm but later shouted "mayday" as the situation deteriorated.
Within minutes, the aircraft was reported to be descending rapidly. It eventually crashed at around 12:50 p.m. local time, triggering a massive fireball and leaving significant wreckage at the site.
Speaking to the New York Post, Crabbe, a veteran pilot and CEO of charter-flight booking platform Jettly, said the pilots could have considered avoiding the storm. "They certainly should have gone around [the storm]," he said.
According to Crabbe, air traffic control had given the crew the flexibility to deviate around the weather. "[Air-traffic control] gave them the flexibility to deviate around that weather," he said.
He suggested that the pilots might have been keen to reach their destination in the Bahamas, although the reason they continued through the weather remains unknown.
"It's a theory called 'get-there-itis,' and flight schools teach you this very early on," he said. "It's a risk factor. You have to sit back as a pilot and understand what is pushing you to do this trip, this manoeuvre, this journey in a way that may compromise the safety of the flight."
When a plane's nose rises, the angle of attack (AOA) increases. This refers to the angle at which the wings meet the oncoming airflow.
Ice accumulation on the wings can significantly affect their ability to generate lift while increasing aerodynamic drag. As a result, an aircraft may stall at a lower angle of attack than it normally would.
Crabbe said the pilots could have found themselves caught between two difficult choices: climb higher and risk aggravating a stall, or descend further into the storm and face additional ice accumulation.
Pilot explains the impact of ice at high altitude
Kyle Koukol, a US-based professional pilot and founder of Dial A Pilot, also explained how ice accumulation can affect an aircraft's performance. Speaking to PEOPLE, Koukol said ice on the wings can significantly increase drag while reducing lift.
"When ice is on the wing, the drag that ice causes is significant and the decrease in lift is massively significant," he said. He added that the risks become more pronounced at higher altitudes, where the air is thinner.
"[In] high altitude, where the air is thin, we have increased drag and decreased lift," Koukol said. He explained that when pilots pull up to climb, they increase the angle of attack in an attempt to generate the required lift.
However, if the wings are already affected by ice, increasing the angle of attack could further aggravate the situation and potentially trigger a stall.
The exact sequence of events that led to the Learjet 60 crash remains under investigation. The NTSB is examining the wreckage and other evidence to establish what happened before the aircraft went down.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), investigators have found evidence suggesting that the aircraft may have suffered a structural breakup before hitting the ground.
"We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact," NTSB official Tom Chapman was quoted as saying by the BBC. "We may find parts of the aircraft some distance away from the actual impact site."
Investigators are examining whether ice accumulation on the aircraft, combined with thin air at high altitude, contributed to a loss of lift and caused the jet to stall.
What happened in the final moments before the crash?
The incident unfolded shortly after the flight crew informed air traffic controllers that they were experiencing "manageable" ice accumulation and "moderate turbulence".According to an audio recording of the communication, co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras initially appeared calm but later shouted "mayday" as the situation deteriorated.
Within minutes, the aircraft was reported to be descending rapidly. It eventually crashed at around 12:50 p.m. local time, triggering a massive fireball and leaving significant wreckage at the site.
Experts point to possible pilot decisions
Aviation experts have suggested that decisions made by the flight crew while navigating adverse weather conditions could also have played a role in the crash. However, investigators have not established the cause of the accident.Speaking to the New York Post, Crabbe, a veteran pilot and CEO of charter-flight booking platform Jettly, said the pilots could have considered avoiding the storm. "They certainly should have gone around [the storm]," he said.
According to Crabbe, air traffic control had given the crew the flexibility to deviate around the weather. "[Air-traffic control] gave them the flexibility to deviate around that weather," he said.
He suggested that the pilots might have been keen to reach their destination in the Bahamas, although the reason they continued through the weather remains unknown.
"It's a theory called 'get-there-itis,' and flight schools teach you this very early on," he said. "It's a risk factor. You have to sit back as a pilot and understand what is pushing you to do this trip, this manoeuvre, this journey in a way that may compromise the safety of the flight."
How could ice accumulation have affected the aircraft?
Crabbe also suggested that the pilots' attempt to climb to a higher altitude in search of clearer air could have contributed to the situation by increasing the risk of a stall.When a plane's nose rises, the angle of attack (AOA) increases. This refers to the angle at which the wings meet the oncoming airflow.
Ice accumulation on the wings can significantly affect their ability to generate lift while increasing aerodynamic drag. As a result, an aircraft may stall at a lower angle of attack than it normally would.
Crabbe said the pilots could have found themselves caught between two difficult choices: climb higher and risk aggravating a stall, or descend further into the storm and face additional ice accumulation.
Pilot explains the impact of ice at high altitude
Kyle Koukol, a US-based professional pilot and founder of Dial A Pilot, also explained how ice accumulation can affect an aircraft's performance. Speaking to PEOPLE, Koukol said ice on the wings can significantly increase drag while reducing lift.
"When ice is on the wing, the drag that ice causes is significant and the decrease in lift is massively significant," he said. He added that the risks become more pronounced at higher altitudes, where the air is thinner.
"[In] high altitude, where the air is thin, we have increased drag and decreased lift," Koukol said. He explained that when pilots pull up to climb, they increase the angle of attack in an attempt to generate the required lift.
However, if the wings are already affected by ice, increasing the angle of attack could further aggravate the situation and potentially trigger a stall.
The exact sequence of events that led to the Learjet 60 crash remains under investigation. The NTSB is examining the wreckage and other evidence to establish what happened before the aircraft went down.