Air traffic control audio reveals what happened before private business jet crashed in Florida

Air traffic control audio from the Learjet private business jet which crashed in Florida on Sunday has been released, which captured its heartbreaking final moments.

The small plane was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas with nine people on board when it crashed into the ground in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon.

The Learjet 60 crashed into a busy road in a residential neighbourhood near Cresthaven at about 12.50pm local time, and Transportation secretary Sean Duffy confirmed all nine on board have sadly died, the BBC reports.

He called it a “horrific tragedy” and said: “Please join me in praying for the families and loved ones of those we lost.” The passengers have not yet been identified. 

Credit: Chris Beckett/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

The devastating air traffic control audio from LiveATC.net reveals the pilot reported ice accumulating on the outside of the aircraft minutes before the crash, with an outside air temperature of -47 degrees Celsius. 

“We’re managing the ice, but it is moderate turbulence,” she said. The air traffic control officer replied, “Let me know if you need anything else, I’m just working you in my airspace right now,” before assuring her that there would be less turbulence up ahead. 

However, moments later, the pilot called the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Centre again with a more panicked voice.

“We’re descending 8,000… Mayday, mayday, we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” she said. “Declaring emergency. We are in an overspeed condition, descending 20,000 feet per minute.”

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An audio recording of the communication between Air Traffic Control and the private jet that crashed in Florida has been released. pic.twitter.com/aFB3L5sLVT

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As she grew even more panicked, the pilot yelled: “We’re gonna crash into the ground.” She then screamed and said: “We are descending 22,000 feet and we are banking 60 degrees.”

After another horrifying scream, you hear the pilot’s final words: “Look, we’re gonna crash. Look outside. Holy f*ck, we’re out of time.”

Horrifying dash cam footage recovered from nearby cars shows the moment the plane nosedived into the ground before exploding into a huge fireball.  

“It was a cataclysmic plane crash,” Florida governor Ron DeSantis said. “It looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road.”

The cause of the crash remains unknown at this time. 

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Featured image credit: Chris Beckett/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock