Palm Beach Jet Hit by Ice, Turbulence

Family members identified Nathalia G. Filgueiras, 20, as one of the nine people who died when a private jet crashed in Palm Beach on Sunday. She served as the co-pilot on the aircraft.

The Learjet 60 hit the ground at 12:50 p.m. near a busy road in a residential neighborhood. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine occupants died in the crash. He described the incident as a horrible tragedy on social media and stated that the Federal Aviation Administration will assist the National Transportation Safety Board with its investigation.

The plane was heading to the Bahamas when it entered a steep descent. Air traffic control recordings show the pilot reported accumulating ice and moderate turbulence shaking the jet down to 700 feet. The pilot told controllers the ice was clear and light but manageable. The situation worsened quickly after the jet encountered precipitation.

The pilot declared an emergency as the aircraft lost altitude rapidly. Radio transmissions captured by LiveATC.net recorded the pilot announcing a descent of 8,000 feet per minute. He later reported an overspeed condition while falling 20,000 feet per minute. In his final transmission, the pilot said the plane was going to hit the ground.

Witnesses in nearby cars filmed the jet falling from the sky. The aircraft burst into a ball of fire just feet from homes and centimeters from passing vehicles. Black smoke covered the crash site. Flames flickered around asphalt fragments near a crater formed by the impact.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the scene and spoke to reporters. He called it a catastrophic aerial accident. He said the jet looked like a missile coming down and left a large crater beside the road.