Audio from the Palm Beach plane crash captures a Learjet crew struggling with ice and a rapidly accelerating descent before the aircraft went down near Greenacres, Florida, killing all nine people aboard.
The recording, first reported by the California Post, begins with the crew telling air traffic controllers that the aircraft had encountered moderate turbulence and was dealing with ice. After flying through precipitation, the pilots said they planned to climb.
The situation then deteriorated quickly. During a mayday call, the crew reported descending at 10,000 feet per minute. Moments later, that figure had doubled to 20,000 feet per minute.
Flight data later indicated that the aircraft reached a descent rate of 32,000 feet per minute, equivalent to roughly 360 mph.
One female crew member could be heard saying, “Holy f***, we’re out of time.” She later told controllers, “We’re going to crash into the ground.”
After she screamed, an air traffic controller replied, “I’m here with you, talk with me.” The crew member then reported that the aircraft was banking at 60 degrees. The transmission cut out shortly afterwards.
The Learjet crashed near the Cresthaven neighbourhood, close to Greenacres in Palm Beach County. The site was only a few miles from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property. No one aboard survived.
