Jet lost at 20,000 feet per minute before crashing in Florida

A private jet bound for the Bahamas broke apart in the air before slamming into a residential neighborhood in Greenacres, Florida, on Sunday afternoon. The crash killed all nine people on board and left a large crater near a road, according to state and federal officials.

Tom Chapman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters on Monday that evidence indicates the aircraft started disintegrating before it hit the ground. Chapman warned that debris may be scattered at a distance from the primary impact site. The plane had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas.

The pilot reported severe ice accumulation and turbulence while flying at 35,000 feet. Radio recordings captured by LiveATC.net and cited by The Associated Press show the pilot describing vertical turbulence of up to 700 feet. The pilot requested an altitude increase of 2,000 feet before declaring an emergency.

The descent became rapid and steep. The pilot radioed that the plane was dropping at 8,000 feet per minute, then 10,000 feet per minute. Shortly after, the pilot reported a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute and stated, “We are going to hit the ground.”

Video recorded by residents shows the aircraft tilting sharply to the right before impacting the earth. A column of black smoke rose over the area as the plane burst into flames. Anthony Blackmon, a local resident, told NBC affiliate WTVJ that debris struck his home and set the street on fire.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the site and described the event as a catastrophic aviation accident. He said the jet appeared like a falling missile and created a significant crater beside the highway.

Among the victims is Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, who was serving as one of the pilots. Her mother, Camila Corteleti, identified her to The New York Post and The New York Times. Filgueiras obtained her pilot license in 2023 at age 17 while attending West Boca Raton Community High School. Her license authorized her to fly the Learjet model involved but did not list her as the pilot in command.

Her father, Allan Filgueiras, told The Associated Press he was not prepared to discuss the crash. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, noting that the inquiry is in its early stages.

Authorities evacuated residents from approximately 77 mobile homes near the crash site. Joel G. Flores, a Palm Beach County commissioner, said officials do not yet know when residents can return. He stated that the immediate priority is clearing the area for normalcy, with no defined timeline for completing the evidence collection.