The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said, according to BBC, it would investigate the circumstances surrounding Sunday’s crash involving a Learjet 60 travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.
Among the victims were technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their two children, and three other passengers. The 20-year-old copilot also lost her life.
Investigators are examining whether ice accumulation and turbulence contributed to the disaster.
According to the NTSB, the flight crew reported encountering ice and moderate turbulence shortly after departing Austin.
“We are picking up precipitation, requesting to climb to 37,000 feet if able,” the crew said in a radio transmission.
NTSB member Tom Chapman said the aircraft began losing altitude less than 30 seconds later, prompting the crew to issue a mayday call.
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The communication subsequently became “unintelligible”, he said, adding that: “Sadly, all aboard were lost.”
Chapman stressed that although weather conditions are being examined as potential contributing factors, establishing the crash’s probable cause would require a “lengthy investigatory process”.
Thunderstorms were also reported in the area around the time of the accident.
Investigators are attempting to establish whether the aircraft carried a cockpit voice recorder and whether the device can be recovered.
The NTSB is working alongside the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Learjet representatives, meteorologists and air traffic control specialists.
Timothy Monville, an air safety investigator with the NTSB, described recovering the wreckage from the impact crater as a “daunting challenge”.
Flight data analysis suggests the aircraft was descending at an extremely high speed before impact.
Air traffic control recordings captured a crew member declaring an emergency and reporting: “we are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000ft per minute”, followed by the warning, “we are going to crash into the ground”.
Approximately 35 seconds after the initial emergency call, the final cockpit transmission appeared to be “we’re out of time”.
The seven passengers were identified by their families as Adam Robinson, Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr and Anita Maria Cetina. Media reports identified the pilot as Jeffery Gregory and the copilot as Nathalia Filgueiras, who obtained her pilot’s licence at the age of 17.
Meanwhile, one person on the ground suffered a leg injury during the crash.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the aircraft struck Military Trail, a six-lane road surrounded by businesses and restaurants.
Images from the scene showed a large crater surrounded by fire and scattered debris.
Officials said wreckage was found across nearby sports fields, commercial properties and residential buildings, raising questions about whether the aircraft had started breaking apart before hitting the ground.
Unverified footage circulating on social media also appeared to show the moment of impact from a vehicle’s dashboard camera.
