“WE’RE OUT OF TIME”: TERRIFYING FINAL RADIO CALLS BEFORE LEARJET CRASH KILLED NINE IN FLORIDA

Air traffic control recordings captured the crew’s desperate attempts to respond as the private jet plunged toward a residential neighborhood in Palm Beach County.

Distressing air traffic control recordings have captured the final moments of a private jet that crashed into a South Florida neighborhood, killing all nine people aboard.

The Learjet 60 went down shortly before 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, in Palm Beach County, Florida. It had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when the emergency unfolded.

In the final radio exchanges, the cockpit crew can be heard reporting icing and turbulence before the aircraft suddenly began losing altitude at an extraordinary rate.

Pilot reported icing and turbulence before declaring an emergency

According to recordings from the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center, the pilot initially told controllers the aircraft was experiencing light, clear icing and moderate turbulence.

The crew said they were managing the conditions but were looking for smoother air.

The situation deteriorated rapidly.

Less than a minute later, a pilot issued a mayday call, reporting that the aircraft was descending at approximately 10,000 feet per minute.

The descent rate then increased dramatically. The pilot reported an emergency and said the jet was descending at approximately 20,000 feet per minute while experiencing an overspeed condition.

“We’re going to crash into the ground,” the pilot said during the desperate exchange.

An air traffic controller attempted to maintain contact, responding: “November two bravo delta, I’m here with you, talk to me.”

The aircraft continued its rapid descent. The final transmission from the cockpit included the words: “We’re out of time.”

According to flight-tracking data cited by Reuters, the aircraft’s vertical descent rate briefly exceeded 32,000 feet per minute.

Jet plunged into residential area and erupted into flames

The Learjet crashed near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, in the Greenacres area of Palm Beach County, close to the Cresthaven mobile home community.

Videos captured the aircraft plunging toward the ground before a massive fireball erupted at the impact site.

The crash left a large crater in the ground, scattered debris across the surrounding area and damaged nearby property. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the aircraft as looking like “a missile going down.”

All nine people aboard the aircraft were killed, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

Initial reports said there were no confirmed fatalities or injuries among people on the ground. However, the crash caused major disruption in the surrounding community.

Approximately 600 residents were affected by evacuations and relocation arrangements as emergency crews secured the area. Military Trail was closed while authorities responded and investigators began examining the wreckage.

Federal investigators begin examining the crash

The aircraft was identified as a Learjet 60 registered as N722BD. FAA records listed LR60271 LLC, a Delaware-based company, as its registered owner.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, with the NTSB leading the inquiry.

Investigators will examine the aircraft, flight data, weather conditions, maintenance records and communications with air traffic control to establish what happened during the flight.

Although the crew reported icing, turbulence and precipitation before the aircraft began its rapid descent, authorities have not established that these conditions caused the crash.

The nine victims had not been publicly identified in the initial reports.

As investigators work to determine why the jet lost control, the final radio transmissions offer a chilling account of the crew’s last efforts to respond to the emergency.