Air traffic control recordings and flight-tracking data outline the Learjet’s final minutes, from its departure in Austin, Texas, to its crash in Greenacres, Florida. All nine people aboard died.
The records show the crew encountering turbulence and icing before requesting to climb. The aircraft then began a sudden, steep descent. An overspeed warning was also reported, and the jet broke apart in flight; investigators have not yet fully explained what happened.
The passengers included Austin technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45; his wife, Helen Sharp, 40; their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2; and the children’s nanny, Anita Maria Cetina. Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr were also aboard. The group departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in a Bombardier Learjet 60.
Flight data shows the Learjet reached about 41,000 feet. For roughly the next hour and a half, there were no notable events.
While the jet was cruising at that altitude, an air traffic controller warned the crew of moderate precipitation about five miles away and offered them the option of deviating left or right. The crew was then directed toward a waypoint near Naples, Florida.
The pilots asked whether they could fly directly toward the Bahamas, a route that would take them across Florida. The controller approved it but cautioned that moderate to extreme precipitation was expected along the way, adding that the turn toward the Bahamas did not look favorable given the weather.
The crew adjusted its route, saying it would head toward Naples first and then continue to the Bahamas. Air traffic control later instructed the Learjet to descend to 35,000 feet and authorized weather-related deviations in either direction. The aircraft’s tracking data shows it continuing north toward Palm Beach County.
The crew reported worsening conditions, including icing and turbulence, and asked whether smoother air was ahead. They also said they were beginning to encounter precipitation and requested a climb to 37,000 feet.
The Learjet climbed to about 35,450 feet, short of the requested altitude, before rapidly descending. The crew issued a mayday as the aircraft dropped at roughly 10,000 feet per minute. Soon afterward, its descent rate increased to about 20,000 feet per minute.
The controller told the pilots they could choose their altitude and asked what assistance they needed. A short time later, a crew member said, “We’re going to crash into the ground.”
“I’m here with you. Talk to me,” the controller replied.
Before the crash in Greenacres, a crew member could be heard saying, “Holy f–k, we’re out of time!”
Alan Diehl, a former National Transportation Safety Board investigator, said that after the Learjet lost controlled flight, the pilots likely had little ability to recover the aircraft.
“For all intents and purposes, they were passengers,” he said.
Diehl described the situation as having no good options, only several dangerous ones. The crew had just seconds to respond, he said, and by some point, recovery may no longer have been possible.
