Final Radio Calls Reveal Deadly Moments Before Fatal South Florida Business Jet Crash
Chilling audio reveals the pilot's last words before a fatal Learjet 60 crash in South Florida, leaving nine dead. NTSB investigation begins.
POLICY WIRE — Cresthaven, Florida — Audio recordings have revealed the harrowing final moments of a pilot preceding a devastating business jet crash that claimed nine lives in South Florida. All individuals traveling on the Learjet 60 perished on Sunday when the aircraft nose-div and disintegrated in a massive explosion near Cresthaven, located approximately nine miles from the Mar-a-Lago resort.
In frantic transmissions obtained by Sky News and CNN, the pilot issued a distress signal while reporting a rapid descent of 8,000 feet at a rate of 10,000 feet per minute. The pilot later warned that the aircraft had entered an overspeed state, dropping at 20,000 feet per minute, stating that impact with the ground was inevitable.
Rough 35 seconds after the initial emergency call, the pilot broadcast that the crew had run out of time. The flight had originated from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was en route to the Bahamas when the tragedy occurred.
Witnesses captured the incident, with one recording showing the plane transforming into a fireball alongside a roadway. Governor Ron DeSantis described the event as a cataclysmic crash, noting that the descent resembled a missile strike and left a significant crater in the roadside area. The Governor confirmed there have been no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities involving people on on the ground.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced via social media that the Federal Aviation Administration is dispatching personnel to support the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation. As of now, the FAA has not established a definitive cause for the midair failure.
Data from FlightRadar24 indicates the aircraft, bearing tail number N722BD, was manufactured in 2004. Records from LiveATC.net show the pilot had previously noted ice forming on the wings and recorded external temperatures of -47 degrees Celsius. The flight also encountered severe turbulence that caused vertical shifts of roughly 700 feet.
Shortly before the final distress calls, the pilot requested an altitude increase to clear precipitation. ADS-B Exchange data reveals the plane eventually suffered a catastrophic drop of 27,000 feet within a single sixty-second window. Authorities have not yet identified the nine victims or specified the ratio of crew members to passengers. Governor DeSantis stated it remains unknown if any of the deceased were residents of Florida.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
