Bad weather a 'major' focus of Florida plane crash probe

US transport authorities are probing a weekend plane crash that killed nine people, with weather conditions being a major focus of their investigation. Tom Chapman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) detailed the ill-fated journey of the Learjet 60, which departed Austin, Texas for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas on Sunday.

The plane crashed into a neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all on board. The aircraft, operated by Aurora Aviation (previously Upper Jets), was carrying a pilot, copilot, and seven passengers. The identities of the victims remain undisclosed as authorities await genetic analysis results. The copilot, identified by US media as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgeiras, had received her pilot's license at age 17 and began working for a Fort Lauderdale-based charter plane company nine months prior to the crash.

Initial audio recordings from the cockpit indicate the crew reported moderate turbulence and managing ice shortly before declaring a mayday, stating they were descending at a rate of 10,000 feet per minute. The NTSB has yet to determine who was actually at the controls when the plane encountered trouble. Crew recordings and aircraft maintenance records suggest there was a cockpit recorder onboard, though its status during the crash is unknown. An additional injury was reported to a driver near the crash site.