- Learjet 60 encountered severe icing and moderate-to-severe turbulence.
- Pilot reported ice accumulation, declared emergency before crash.
- Aircraft rapidly descended 30,000 feet per minute, losing control.
A private jet crashed in Florida in the US, killing nine people onboard on Sunday. Ahead of the crash, the Florida aircraft, the Learjet 60, encountered severe weather conditions, including icing, moderate-to-severe turbulence, and heavy precipitation. The audio recording which surfaced following the incident ends with a chilling shout from the cockpit: "We're out of time!".
What was the condition of the flight before the crash?
Moments before the crash, the jet pilot said that ice was accumulating on the aircraft with a freezing temperature of -47 degrees Celsius and moderate turbulence. However, after some time of reporting precipitation started to fall and requesting to climb, they declared an emergency.
The situation rapidly deteriorated. After encountering precipitation and requesting to climb, the pilot declared an emergency as the aircraft began losing altitude at an alarming rate. Sometimes, it can cause severe control anomalies. Tailplane icing can trigger a sudden, violent nose-down pitch, while ice on the wings can cause uncommanded rolling or reduced steering responsiveness.
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In-flight icing may alter the shape of the aircraft's wings and control surfaces, drastically reducing lift and increasing drag. When an aircraft flies through clouds containing supercooled liquid water (water that remains liquid even below freezing temperatures), the droplets freeze instantly upon hitting the cold metal or composite surfaces of the plane.
The Turbulence
While cruising at 35,000 feet over the Florida peninsula, the aircraft entered the path of a rapidly intensifying thunderstorm cell. Meteorological data showed the storm’s height surged by over 15,000 feet in just 20 minutes, generating massive internal updrafts and downdrafts. Air traffic controllers warned the crew that the weather ahead was "pretty nasty.”
At 12:47 pm, the co-pilot radioed air traffic control, saying, "We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence." However, within a matter of moments, conditions worsened more. The turbulence intensified rapidly, violently jolting the aircraft up and down by as much as 700 feet. As the plane pushed into heavier precipitation, supercooled water droplets caused ice to rapidly build up on the aircraft's wings and stabilisers, severely disrupting its aerodynamic lift.
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The Loss Of Control And 'MayDay' Declaration
Following the turbulence, the crew requested a 2,000-foot climb. Shortly after, the aircraft experienced severe operational trouble and entered an uncontrolled, steep descent. The descent rate then escalated from 8,000–10,000 feet per minute up to 20,000 and 30,000 feet per minute, pushing the aircraft past its design limits into an overspeed condition.
The pilot broadcasted a Mayday call ("We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute") before stating they were going to crash into the ground. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the accident.
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