A final message was captured from the Learjet 60 that crashed into a mobile home park in Florida, resulting in at least nine deaths. Air traffic control recordings revealed the crew’s urgent communications and distress as the private jet crashed. Residents compared the aftermath to a meteor strike, noting that debris scattered everywhere and even struck some homes. One local reported that everything was engulfed in flames, including the road.
The Learjet 60 went down around 1 p.m. on November 1 in the Greenacres mobile home community in Palm Beach County. The plane was flying from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it hit a tree and brought down power lines. Video footage showed the aircraft diving straight toward the ground, resulting in the tragic loss of nine lives on board.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the crash as alarming, likening the descent to a missile and noting a massive explosion with debris flying everywhere. Although officials were still investigating, DeSantis stated that there had been no confirmed injuries or fatalities among people on the ground.
In the audio recordings, the pilot initially reported manageable turbulence and light ice. However, the situation quickly worsened, prompting the pilot to issue urgent mayday calls. The plane reportedly descended at a rapid rate of about 27,000 feet within one minute before communications were lost. At one point, the pilot noted that they were descending at 20,000 feet per minute and stated they were going to crash.
The air traffic controller tried to maintain communication, urging the crew to talk. As the aircraft neared disaster, a crew member’s last message was one of panic, indicating they were out of time. Flight data indicated the plane was descending at 32,000 feet per minute, approaching speeds of around 360 MPH, before impacting at least one trailer and creating a large fireball.
Residents described the terrifying scene. One local, Anthony Blackmon, said debris hit his house and everything was on fire. He shared that he had only seen such events on news broadcasts and never expected to experience it so close to home. Another resident, Roger Forcelle, noted that the crash shook his entire house and occurred less than half a mile away.
What are your thoughts on this tragic incident?
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Source: Bored Panda, by Gabija Saveiskyte