The crew of the Learjet 60 that crashed in Palm Beach County reported icing, turbulence and later an overspeed condition before the accident, NTSB Member Tom Chapman said in the agency’s November 2 briefing. The account describes crew communications; it does not establish what caused the crash.
Recovery update, November 5: The NTSB says crews found part of one engine after excavation began late on November 4. Investigators also reported debris away from the impact site and on nearby rooftops. The agency will take recovered wreckage to a secure site for examination. It asks anyone who finds debris to leave it where it is and follow the reporting instructions on the case page.
Investigation check, November 5: The NTSB case page still lists the investigation as ongoing. Its public docket page says the docket has not been released. The case page contains no probable-cause determination. The crew timeline below comes from the November 2 briefing; the elevator recovery update was reported on November 3.
At the November 2 briefing, Chapman said all nine people aboard died: two flight crew members and seven passengers. The flight was travelling from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Texas, to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
Flight timeline described by the NTSB
Chapman gave the following approximate times in Eastern time for November 1:
- 10:37 a.m.: The aircraft departed Austin-Bergstrom.
- About 12:47 p.m.: The crew reported light clear ice that they described as manageable, and moderate turbulence. At 35,000 feet, they reported altitude deviations of about 700 feet.
- The crew subsequently reported precipitation and requested a climb to 37,000 feet. Air traffic control approved the request. Less than 30 seconds later, a transmission announced a descent, followed by a Mayday call.
- About 12:48 p.m.: A transmission reported an overspeed condition and a descent. Chapman said the remainder of that transmission was unintelligible.
- About 12:51 p.m.: The aircraft crashed in Palm Beach County.
The reports of icing and turbulence are evidence investigators are examining, rather than a finding that weather caused the accident. Chapman said weather at altitude remained to be determined. Asked whether the aircraft had flown through an active thunderstorm, he said the agency could not yet confirm that.
November 3 update: tail-control pieces recovered
The Associated Press reported on November 3 that Chapman said most of the left elevator, a tail control surface, had been recovered in three pieces between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the impact site. He said investigators had not established whether its loss contributed to the loss of control or resulted from forces on the aircraft. The recovery does not establish probable cause.
Breakup and recorder questions remain open
Chapman said investigators had some evidence of a breakup before impact, while stressing that they were still establishing what happened. Investigator-in-charge Timothy Monville described work to document parts away from the main impact site. That November 2 briefing did not confirm separation of a particular tail or control surface; the November 3 recovery update above supplies later evidence.
Early maintenance records indicated that a cockpit voice recorder had been installed, Chapman said. At the November 2 briefing, investigators were still establishing whether it remained aboard and whether it could be recovered. That statement is not confirmation of a recorder recovery.
Monville also reported a leg injury to a man who had been in a vehicle leaving the area immediately adjacent to the impact. He said investigators intended to interview the man to establish the extent of his injuries.
Aircraft history and cause remain under investigation
The NTSB’s preliminary case page identifies Aurora Aviation, doing business as Upper Jet, as the operator and lists the investigation as ongoing under ERA27MA026. Its event location is Lake Worth Beach, Florida. The page cautions that its information is preliminary and subject to change.
Asked about aircraft-model history, Chapman said he was not aware at that point of a pattern of this type of accident. He said investigators would examine both the model’s history and the individual aircraft’s history. This was an early statement about the review, not a completed finding about the fleet or this aircraft’s maintenance.
The case page reviewed for this update does not supply a registration. The archive aircraft pictured below cannot establish the identity or safety history of the accident aircraft. The NTSB has not determined probable cause, and the briefing does not establish who was at the controls or whether a crew or controller action was appropriate.
Official NTSB briefings, November 2 and 3
The NTSB has made its first media briefing on the November 1 crash available on its official channel. The recording is presented by NTSB Member Tom Chapman. Watch the original briefing below or open it on the NTSB’s YouTube channel.
The NTSB’s investigation page also links its second official media briefing, dated November 3, available below.
Sources: National Transportation Safety Board, official November 2 and November 3 briefings, investigation page and public docket status checked November 5. The elevator recovery account above is attributed to the Associated Press. The investigation remains open; preliminary observations are not a final determination of cause.
Archive illustration: Learjet 60 D-CPMU in FAI Ambulance livery, photographed on October 18, 2019. The photograph does not show the Florida accident scene; no link between the pictured aircraft and this accident has been established.
