The Learjet plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida on Sunday is being investigated by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), who say they will investigate whether parts of the jet broke off before its nosedive and explosion, which killed all nine people on board. During a media briefing on Monday, NTSB member Tom Chapman said that the organisation would also investigate to what extent ice and turbulence may have been contributing factors.
Learjet 60 crash in Palm Beach County Florida
The tragedy took place on a Learjet 60 business jet flying from Austin, Texas to the Bahamas at approximately 12:51 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Just over two hours after takeoff, the jet entered a rapid descent near West Palm Beach. The plane burst into flames when it crashed in Greenacres.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel G. Flores said that a shelter has been established for the residents of almost 80 mobile homes near the crash site.
“Our concern right now is clearing the scene so that our residents can get back to normal.
We don’t really have a timeline as to when they are going to be able to comb through all the evidence and do everything they need to do, and that leaves our community looking for answers.”
Investigations into what caused the crash
The NTSB is an independent federal agency responsible for investigating civil aviation accidents and major transportation incidents in the United States. In an official media briefing on Monday, they shared details about their investigation into the crash.
Chapman said the NTSB would work alongside the Federal Aviation Administration, representatives from Learjet, weather experts and air traffic control experts, and may also involve the operator of the aircraft (Aurora Aviation) as part of their investigation. He added that ice and turbulence were factors in the crash, but that “still we’re in the very early stages here of the investigation”.
“We do have some indication that the aircraft was breaking up before impact,” Chapman said. “We may find parts of the aircraft some distance away from the actual impact site.”
Do you think the NTSB will be able to decipher the cause of the aircraft’s descent? Let us know in the comments.
