Palm Beach jet crash kills nine including 20-year-old co-pilot

A Learjet 60 crashed into a residential area in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, killing all nine people on board.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the total loss of the aircraft. The jet hit the ground at 12:50 p.m. in Palm Beach County. It struck the earth near a busy road, creating a large crater. A fireball erupted upon impact, spreading flames and debris across the asphalt.

Family members identified Nathalia G. Filgueiras as the co-pilot. She was 20 years old. Her father confirmed the identification. The family is of Brazilian origin. Filgueiras’s sister said her sister learned to fly from her pilot father. The sister described flying as Filgueiras’s greatest passion.

Pilot Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, visited the site. He described the event as a catastrophic aerial accident. He noted the plane looked like a missile descending from the sky. Dense black smoke covered the area where the jet exploded. Residents gathered nearby, shocked that the aircraft landed so close to their homes and passing cars.

Air traffic control recordings obtained by LiveATC.net captured the final minutes. The pilot reported clear and light ice that was manageable. He also noted moderate turbulence. The situation worsened quickly after the jet encountered precipitation. The pilot requested an altitude change but then declared an emergency as the plane lost height rapidly.

The pilot transmitted a mayday call, stating the aircraft was descending at 8,000 feet per minute. He then reported a descent rate of 10,000 feet per minute. Finally, the pilot reported an overspeed condition while dropping 20,000 feet per minute. He told controllers the plane was going to crash into the ground.

The Federal Aviation Administration will support the National Transportation Safety Board investigation. The jet was headed to the Bahamas when it failed. Video from drivers showed the aircraft falling from the sky before it struck the ground near the roadway.