Flight tracking data reveals terrifying final minute of private jet before crash killed nine people
Warning: This article contains graphic images and video which some readers may find distressing.
Footage captured using a dashcam camera emerged over the weekend of a plane crashing into the road in Florida, with officials indicating that the incident has left all nine on board the Learjet 60 aircraft dead.
The flight was passing by the President Donald J. Trump International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida on a journey from Austin, Texas to the Bahamas, before air traffic control communications indicating 'moderate turbulence' and the need to 'manage the ice' quickly turned into a catastrophic situation.
As reported by the BBC, an individual on the plane communicated to air traffic control that the plane was 'picking up precipitation' and 'needed to climb' as a result, but moments afterwards it was plunging towards the ground at a speed exceeding 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) per minute.
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The Learjet 60 aircraft then eventually crashed into a road in a neighborhood just nine miles (14 kilometers) from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, with horrifying footage captured from a nearby car showing the moment as it occurred.
Flight data shows fatal plunge in real time
Live data for the flight, N722BD, through tracking platform Flightradar24, shows not only how abrupt the drop was for the plane as it was flying over Florida on the way to North Eleuthera, but also the speed at which it hurtled towards the ground.
It was traveling at an altitude of around 41,000 feet (12,497 meters) for nearly two hours before the crash happened, with a ground speed of between 400 and 500 knots – roughly 460mph to 575mph – across that period.
At roughly 12:50 EST, however, the flight suddenly began to lose altitude, dropping swiftly from around 35,000 feet to the ground in about a minute and a half, which is when the issues appeared to arise.
Air traffic control communications reveal last words from those on board
Following the initial mayday call, the voice on board the flight that was communicating with air traffic control appeared to indicate that the plane was "in an overspeed condition descending 20,000ft per minute," adding shortly after that "we are going to crash into the ground."
Just seconds after that the voice gave a final remark, resigning themselves that they were "out of time," with the crash into the road likely happening in the immediate aftermath.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue quickly declared the crash to be a 'mass casualty incident', with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addressing the devastating video in a recent news conference.
"When you see that video, it's a jarring thing," he outlined. "It's like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere."
Military Trail, the road where the crash took place, has also been heavily damaged as a result, with residents evacuated to a nearby trailer-park community following the incident. It has also been suggested that it will be at least another 30 days before the road is re-opened.