Learjet faced 'perfect storm' and pulling up 'wasn't possible' before Florida crash

Learjet faced 'perfect storm' and pulling up 'wasn't possible' before Florida crash Nine people were killed on a Learjet 60 when it crashed in Greenacres, Florida, en route from Austin to the Bahamas, having met an unusual storm system A private jet crashed in a "perfect storm", killing all nine on board in Florida after an attempt to ascend failed - and may not even have been possible, according to experts. The plane burst into flames when it crashed in Greenacres, about seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach, with thick black smoke engulfing the crash site. Victims included the 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, who made the final radio transmissions, as well as technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, and their two young children. The plane, a Learjet 60, had departed Austin, Texas and was en route to the Bahamas when it crashed on Sunday having encountered an unusual convective storm system. The plane appears to have attempted to climb above the storm, having requested and received clearance at 35,000ft to ascend to 37,000ft after reporting freezing temperatures and ice forming on the jet’s hull. Ice can be dangerous as it affects the air flows around the wings and makes it harder for the plane to remain aloft. “This was kind of the perfect storm of trouble,” aviation lawyer Zachary S. Gorwitz told the New York Post. When there is ice on wings it is harder to achieve lift - and the angle where a plane can stall is lower than would normally be the case. And so it possible that an attempt to climb with ice on the wings led to the plane stalling. The aircraft likely started breaking apart before it slammed into the ground and erupted in a fireball, a federal investigator has said. The jet did a steep nosedive, leaving behind a crater and a wide debris field as rain pounded the area. “At that point, I’m sure the pilot was trying to pull back on the controls and get the nose up, but I’m sure at that speed and that angle, it just wasn’t possible,” Mr Gorwitz said. Authorities said weather will be a key initial focus of the investigation, and that the National Transportation Safety Board will also examine the actions of the crew and look for any mechanical problems with the plane. The plane was heading east when the pilot started to report problems. According to air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC.net, Ms Filgueiras said ice was accumulating on the jet and that turbulence was jolting it by as much as 700ft. “We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” the co-pilot told controllers in a professional tone. The situation rapidly deteriorated and within a few transmissions panic set in as the crew realised their fate. The co-pilot requested permission to climb another 2,000ft and then quickly declared an emergency as the jet lost altitude at an alarming rate. “We’re descending 8,000 — mayday, mayday — we’re descending 10,000ft per minute,” she radioed. “We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000ft per minute.” Moments later, she added: “We’re going to crash into the ground.”