Weather, Mayday call key to probe into Florida Learjet crash that killed nine

US transportation investigators are focusing on weather conditions in their probe into a weekend crash of a private plane that killed nine people, according to Tom Chapman of the National Transportation Safety Board. On Sunday, the Learjet 60 departed Austin, Texas, bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. The plane crashed into a neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida, claiming the lives of everyone on board – a pilot, a copilot, and seven passengers.

The identities of the victims have not been released, as genetic analysis is required. The copilot, 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgeiras, had received her pilot's license at 17 and began working for a Fort Lauderdale charter plane company nine months ago, having amassed 1,300 flight hours. She was working for Upper Jets, formerly known as Aurora Aviation, when the crash occurred.

During the flight, the cockpit crew reported moderate turbulence and ice accumulation, with the plane needing to climb. Shortly thereafter, the pilot issued a Mayday call, stating they were descending at a rate of 10,000 feet per minute. It is unclear who was at the controls when the trouble began. Aircraft maintenance records indicate there was once a cockpit recorder on the plane, but it is uncertain if it was operational at the time of the crash or recoverable by the NTSB.

An additional driver reportedly sustained injuries near the crash site. The Bombardier Learjet 60, which entered service in 2004 and underwent renovations in 2018, was owned by a Delaware company, LR60271 LLC, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration.