Learjet crash timeline reveals final minutes from Austin takeoff to deadly Florida plunge
GREENACRES, FLORIDA: Air traffic control recordings and flight-tracking data have reconstructed the final minutes of the Learjet 60 flight that crashed in Greenacres, Florida, killing all nine people aboard, including a family of four from Austin, Texas.
The timeline shows the aircraft encountering deteriorating weather conditions, with the crew reporting icing and turbulence before requesting a climb. Within minutes, the Learjet began a rapid descent, with its descent rate reaching approximately 20,000 feet per minute before it crashed into a residential neighborhood on Sunday, November 1.
A former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator said the pilots may have had only seconds to respond after the aircraft lost controlled flight.
Learjet crew warned about severe weather before changing route
The Bombardier Learjet 60, registered as N722BD, departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at approximately 10.37 am Eastern Time, carrying tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, their children Emma, four, and Charlie, two, along with their nanny Anita Maria Cetina and passengers Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.
The aircraft reached a cruising altitude of approximately 41,000 feet around 11 am and continued without any notable reported events for roughly 90 minutes.
At 12.31 pm, an air traffic controller alerted the crew to moderate precipitation about five miles away and offered options to deviate to the left or right. The aircraft was subsequently directed toward a waypoint near Naples, Florida.
A minute later, the crew asked whether it could take a more direct route toward the Bahamas, which would take the aircraft across Florida. Air traffic control approved the route but warned that moderate-to-extreme precipitation lay along the path and that the turn toward the Bahamas appeared unfavorable from a weather standpoint.
At 12.35 pm, the crew changed its plan, indicating that it would head toward Naples before continuing to the Bahamas.
Pilots report icing and turbulence before rapid descent
At 12.36 pm, air traffic control instructed the Learjet to descend to 35,000 feet. Four minutes later, the controller authorized the crew to deviate left or right to avoid weather and proceed toward the Bahamas when able.
By 12.47 p.m., conditions appeared to have deteriorated. The co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras reported icing and turbulence and asked whether there was a "better ride" ahead. The pilots also reported encountering precipitation and requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet.
At approximately 12.48 pm, the Learjet began climbing but reached only around 35,450 feet, according to the flight-tracking data cited by Fox News. The aircraft then entered a rapid descent.
The crew issued a Mayday call as the aircraft descended at approximately 10,000 feet per minute. The rate later doubled to around 20,000 feet per minute.
When the controller asked what assistance the crew needed, the co-pilot indicated that they were losing control of the situation. Filgueiras said, "We’re going to crash into the ground."
The controller responded, "I'm here with you. Talk to me."
At approximately 12.49 pm, the Learjet crashed in Greenacres, Florida. In the final moments captured in the air traffic control audio, the co-pilot could be heard saying, "We're out of time!"
The NTSB is investigating the crash, with the FAA assisting. While the timeline provides details of the aircraft's final flight, investigators have not yet established the probable cause. The reported icing, turbulence, attempted climb, and rapid descent remain important elements for investigators to examine.
