Jet Disintegration: NTSB confirms aircraft broke apart before Florida impact
Federal investigators say the Learjet shed parts before striking the ground in Greenacres, killing nine people.
By Gabriela Ivanov ·
A private Learjet shed components while airborne before it struck the ground in Greenacres, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, federal investigators said. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the aircraft began to break up prior to impact, a finding that suggests the plane disintegrated in the air. Nine people were killed in the crash, which sent the jet plummeting from 35,000 feet into a residential area.
NTSB member Tom Chapman told reporters on Monday that debris from the aircraft was likely scattered over a wide area. He stated that the board expects to find parts of the plane far from the initial impact site. This structural failure occurred after the pilot reported accumulating ice and turbulence that jolted the aircraft by as much as 700 feet.
Air traffic control recordings indicate the pilot requested a 2,000-foot climb before declaring an emergency. The jet then lost altitude rapidly, with the pilot radioing that the aircraft was descending at 10,000 feet per minute. Seconds later, the pilot reported an overspeed condition with a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute. The final transmission indicated the plane was going to crash into the ground.
Residents in the area described the scene as chaotic, with flames engulfing chunks of pavement and thick black smoke rising from the crater. Anthony Blackmon, who lives near the crash site, told local media that debris hit his house and the road was on fire. He noted that he had always seen such events on the news but never expected them to happen so close to his home.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel G. Flores said the county has no timeline for when residents can return to their homes. Approximately 77 mobile homes in the vicinity were evacuated to a shelter. Flores stated that the priority is clearing the scene so residents can return to normal, though the investigation will take time to complete.
The aircraft departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. Authorities have not released the names of the nine victims. Camila Corteleti identified her daughter, 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, as one of the pilots. Filgueiras earned her license in 2023 and held the rating to fly that model of jet, though not to command the flight. Her father, Allan Filgueiras, said he was not prepared to speak about the crash.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the event as a cataclysmic plane crash. He said the aircraft looked like a missile going down and left a large crater on the side of the road. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office declined to discuss the death investigation, noting it is still in early stages.
