A privately owned Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people on board after plummeting at speeds exceeding 20,000 to 32,000 feet per minute.
Distressing cockpit recordings captured the flight crew urgently contacting air traffic control about severe icing and turbulence before declaring an emergency and losing control.
Among the victims was 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras, whose grieving mother and family confirmed her death and revealed her final text message warning of ice and turbulence.
The disaster claimed the lives of a young family and friends, including Texas entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen, their two toddler children, a nanny, and two close companions.
Federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are currently reviewing evidence indicating the jet may have suffered an in-flight breakup before slamming into a road and causing widespread damage. On Monday, NTSB said investigators had found evidence the plane had started to break up before hitting the ground. Officials also said that weather conditions would be a key focus of the investigation.
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