Overview
- The Bombardier Learjet left Austin and crashed in a Palm Beach County neighborhood on Sunday, killing all nine people on board and creating a large crater that forced about 600 evacuations.
- Air-traffic recordings and flight-tracking data show the jet entered a steep, rapid descent and exceeded design speed limits before impact, and investigators say there are early signs the aircraft may have broken up in flight.
- The NTSB and FAA opened a formal investigation with weather and icing as a major line of inquiry while Bombardier has pledged to cooperate with authorities.
- Families have begun identifying victims, including an Austin entrepreneur, his wife and two young children, a nanny, and the co-pilot, and public figures such as Joe Mixon have posted personal tributes after saying he recently flew on that same aircraft.
- Investigators are collecting cockpit recordings, flight data, witness photos and videos and have asked the public to submit footage to witness@ntsb.gov as officials work toward a final cause that could take months to determine.