The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is examining weather reports from a Learjet 60 crew before the aircraft crashed in Florida on Nov. 1, killing all nine aboard, WFLX reported, as investigators seek the cause.
At about 12:47 p.m. ET, the crew reported that icing was light and clear and manageable, along with moderate turbulence, while flying at 35,000 feet, according to the NTSB’s preliminary timeline. It also records altitude deviations of about 700 feet and an outside temperature of minus 53 degrees Fahrenheit.
After reporting precipitation, the crew requested a climb to 37,000 feet, which air traffic control approved. Less than 30 seconds later, the aircraft reported descending and sent a mayday. The Associated Press transcribed the pilot’s call as “Mayday, mayday,” from air traffic control audio it attributed to LiveATC.net.
NTSB Member Tom Chapman said at a Nov. 2 briefing that weather was “a major focus” of the investigation. Investigators have not determined conditions at cruising altitude or confirmed that the aircraft encountered an active thunderstorm.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft was headed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it crashed in Palm Beach County at about 12:50 p.m. ET Nov. 1.
The NTSB reported preliminary evidence that the aircraft began to break apart before impact, but has not established what caused the descent or breakup. EconoTimes previously covered the possible in-flight breakup evidence. The Associated Press reported that about 600 people in the area remained displaced while investigators worked at the site.
