A Bombardier Learjet 60 crashed around 1 p.m. on Sunday near Palm Springs, Florida, killing all nine on board. According to FAA records, the aircraft is registered as N722BD to LR60271 LLC, a Delaware shell company.
The 2004-vintage twinjet departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (KAUS) in Texas and was en route to North Eleuthera International Airport (MYEH) in the Bahamas, when its pilots issued a mayday call describing a rapid loss of altitude. In previous conversation with air traffic control, the pilot described managing an icing situation, moderate turbulence, and precipitation, and asked the controller if there were “any better rides” in the airspace ahead as they requested a climb to 37,000 feet.
Immediately after acknowledging the approval to climb, the pilot told ATC the airplane was descending at 10,000 fpm. She urgently added that the aircraft “was in an overspeed condition” and descending at 20,000 fpm. Thirty seconds later, the pilot’s radio call ended with “we’re out of time,” as ATC attempted in vain to reestablish radio contact.
Vehicle dash camera video on the ground caught the final seconds as the Learjet, in a near-vertical dive at more than 30,000 fpm, hit the ground in a fireball, leaving a deep impact crater in a mobile home park. While many in the area were still displaced from their homes on Sunday night, there were no reports of injuries on the ground.
NTSB investigators are on the scene and will be providing information as the investigation proceeds.
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