Moment by moment, how a Learjet passenger plane crashed in Florida - USA Today
Federal aviation officials are investigating the cause of the fatal crash of a Learjet 60 business plane that nosedived and exploded on impact in Florida, killing all nine people on board on Nov. 1.
The jet crashed near Greenacres in Palm Beach County, leaving a burning crater and a massive debris field. No one on the ground was reported injured.
The private jet left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin at about 10:37 a.m. ET, bound for the North Eleuthera airport in the Bahamas, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plane flew into an explosive thunderstorm that rocketed clouds skyward by 15,000 feet in 20 minutes, the USA TODAY Network reported. That may have led to the rapid freezing of water droplets, hampering the plane's ability to maneuver.
National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said at a news conference Nov. 2 that there is evidence the aircraft began breaking up before impact. Investigators are still working to determine exactly what happened.
The aircraft was over Florida when the crew reported light ice and moderate air turbulence. Less than two minutes later, the crew declared a mayday and said the aircraft was descending at 10,000 feet per minute.
All times are approximate. Aircraft position and flight data are from Flightradar24; communications and their approximate timing are based on Miami Center audio archived by LiveATC.net and reproduced in this timeline video.
