The National Transportation Safety Board recovered the cockpit voice recorder from a Learjet 60 that crashed in Greenacres, Florida, killing all nine people aboard. (Foto: Instagram)
The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday, Nov. 9, that investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder from a Learjet 60 that crashed in Florida the previous week. The recorder was found at the site of the initial impact and is being examined at the NTSB’s Vehicle Recorder Laboratory in Washington, D.C. The agency is investigating the circumstances of the crash.
The jet went down Nov. 1 at a mobile home park in Greenacres, in South Florida, killing all nine people aboard. Nathalia Gadelha, 20, the daughter of Brazilian parents, was the co-pilot. The others included the captain, Jeff Gregory, 55; a family of four from Texas; a nanny; and two close friends.
The aircraft had departed Austin, Texas, bound for the Bahamas. The NTSB investigation found indications that the Learjet 60 exceeded its speed limit, a condition known in aviation as overspeed. The jet descended at a rate of as much as 6,000 meters per minute before striking the ground in Palm Beach County, at the mobile home park.
Audio released from the flight captures Gadelha calling air traffic control for help. She reported an emergency and said the aircraft was overspeeding and descending at 20,000 feet per minute. A controller responded, “Understood. Let me know what you need.” After receiving no response, the controller called the aircraft again: “November 2 Bravo Delta, I’m here with you. Talk to me.” Gadelha then said, “We’re descending at 22,000 feet and banking at 60 degrees.” With shouts audible in the background, she said, “We’re going to die. We’re going to die. We’re going to hit the ground. Look outside.” She added, “We’re out of time.” The controller asked, “Can you hear me? November 2 Bravo Delta, this is Miami,” before the transmission cut off.
