Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Posted on 11/02/2026 12:50:14 PM PST by Red Badger
A deadly Learjet crash in South Florida has taken an even more troubling turn.
Federal investigators now say evidence at the scene indicates pieces of the aircraft separated before the jet slammed into a mobile home community near Greenacres on Sunday. Nine people aboard the plane were killed.
The finding does not establish why the aircraft went down. It gives the National Transportation Safety Board a critical new trail to follow as investigators reconstruct the jet’s final moments.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy summarized the first confirmed facts after the crash:
Today's plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida is a horrific tragedy
Here's what we know: – At 12:50 PM ET, a Learjet 60 crashed in a neighborhood near Cresthaven, FL – All 9 people on board were killed – The aircraft departed from Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas…
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 1, 2026
The Associated Press reports that NTSB member Tom Chapman said investigators found evidence suggesting parts came off the plane before impact. Some debris may be located a considerable distance from the main wreckage, and teams are now working to locate and document it.
Investigators are mapping the debris field and searching for separated components that could help establish when the aircraft began coming apart. The location and condition of each recovered piece can help distinguish in-flight damage from destruction caused by the final impact.
The AP also reports that the pilot told air traffic control about ice and turbulence before the rapid descent. Investigators will compare that radio call with radar data, weather conditions, maintenance records, recovered wreckage, and any available onboard recordings.
The crash and fire forced the evacuation of 77 mobile homes, leaving residents unable to return while the scene remained active. Officials had not announced a firm timeline for reopening the neighborhood, and the NTSB had not identified a probable cause.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a Learjet 60 and placed the crash at approximately 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. Its official incident entry says nine people were aboard the jet, which had departed Austin, Texas, for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
The FAA’s account establishes the aircraft, route, time, and number of people aboard while leaving the cause where it belongs: with the evidence. The agency confirmed that the NTSB is leading the investigation, the standard division of responsibility for a civil aviation accident.
That means the NTSB will assemble the probable-cause record while drawing on FAA air traffic information and other federal evidence. The basic timeline is already public; the harder questions now concern what happened to the Learjet during its final descent and why pieces appear to have separated before impact.
The NTSB immediately dispatched a go-team to Florida:
NTSB is launching a go-team to investigate Sunday’s crash of a Learjet 60 airplane in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. Investigators are arriving at the accident site today and tomorrow morning. Media briefing will be held in West Palm Beach on Monday. Time and location to be announced…
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) November 1, 2026
Investigators will have to determine whether the reported icing and turbulence played any role at all. A pilot report is important evidence, but it is not a final explanation—and responsible investigators do not jump from one radio call to a conclusion.
The human cost is already clear. Nine people are dead, and a residential neighborhood has been turned into a sprawling disaster scene.
Residents were still waiting for word on when they could safely return while emergency crews and investigators continued working through the wreckage.
The NTSB also provided a public livestream for its Monday briefing:
Livestream: https://t.co/YoK1MOZCRH https://t.co/ejb8sNQjYl
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) November 2, 2026
The next phase should be driven by evidence, not speculation. The location of the separated pieces, laboratory analysis of the wreckage, and the aircraft’s recorded data may show whether investigators are looking at a structural failure, weather-related damage, another mechanical problem, or a chain of events no one can yet see.
For the families of the nine people who died—and for the residents whose neighborhood became a disaster scene—those answers cannot come soon enough. The public deserves a thorough accounting of what happened and whether anything could have prevented it.
|
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
Aviation ping................🤔😢
It already came out that the female on the radio was a 20-year old girl boss with a TikTok account. This tragedy did NOT have to happen.
But, but the aviation experts at FR assured us it was icing or the autopilot engaged in icing conditions.
According to Google, the maximum speed of that aircraft is about 536 MPH. My bet is it was going a lot faster than that on the way down. Go fast enough, and parts are bound to strip off.
Was she flying the plane? Or did the 1st officer decide to fly into a thunderhead? What does TikTok have to do with the crash?
She was the co-pilot. The pilot was an older male.
You left out the part where she was the co-pilot to a 56-year old male pilot.
The aircraft was not built to withstand the stresses it was in. As was noted earlier, it appeared that the horizontal stabilizers were missing before the impact. The female co-pilot said that they were in a 60 degree bank and was dropping at 20k feet per second. It’s wonder the aircraft’s wings didn’t disintegrate completely. The wing tips appeared to be missing as well..................
True. No Learjet owner is going to trust his 20 million dollar airplane to a 20 year old, no matter how big her boobs are.
Meaning...?
The terror that the passengers, especially those young children must have experienced. Very, very sad.
20k feet per second? I dont think so. Maybe per minute.
The icing up began a series of events that eventually led to parts of the A/C parts being sheared due to immense stress from excessive speed...........
Yes, minute..............
I wouldn’t blame her immediately.
Tp be fair, I don’t have much confidence in any 20 year old pilot today, male or female (I prefer to see older, ex-military pilots with gray hair when I board the plane) especially one who seems to carry that accomplishment on her sleeve as this young woman seems to have (from reading another article about her) but...we should take a wait and see attitude.
To be 20 years old and flying a Learjet means she had to have skill, so I would leave it at that.
I didn’t care for her self-characterization as a put upon female as portrayed in the article, but let’s wait and see.
The Lear 20 series was certified for Aerobatics, in the "Utility" category. I don't think the Lear 60 is.
She was panicked dude....wouldn’t you be? I know I would be.
Yes, VNE of an aircraft frame is VERY important!
I was even skeptical for a 20K minute descent and had to check to see how that lined up. it is possible, and if the descent was powered, as it appeared to be...even worse.
Prayers for those souls.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.