Audio recordings reveal that the pilot of a plane that crashed in Florida on Sunday said “we’re handling the ice” shortly before declaring “Mayday.” The plane crashed in a neighborhood along a busy highway, killing all nine people aboard the plane as it exploded into a massive fireball and left a huge crater in Palm Beach County. The Learjet 60 departed Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas when the pilot began reporting weather problems and turbulence, according to the FAA. “We’re controlling the ice, but it’s moderate turbulence,” the business jet’s pilot was heard saying in an air traffic control audio recording. The pilot made multiple distress calls amid bad weather, which officials believe may have been a factor in the crash. “722 Bravo Delta, we are descending 8,000, Mayday, Mayday, we are descending 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot said. The messages became increasingly alarming in the final moments: “Declare emergency 722 Bravo Delta, we are in overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute.” The latest data transmitted from the plane showed that it was flying at an altitude of nearly 9,000 feet and then plummeted at a speed of more than 32,000 feet per minute, about 363 mph. Roads are closed after a plane crashed on November 1, 2026 in Greenacres, Florida. Saúl Martínez/Getty Images Several sources have confirmed to CBS News that Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, was the co-pilot of the plane. It was featured in a 2023 report by CBS affiliate WPEC. The captain was identified as Jeffrey Gregory, 55, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter and a manifesto obtained by CBS. CBS News has confirmed that the passengers included Adam Robinson, 44, and Helen Sharp, 40, a couple from Austin, Texas, and their two young children, ages 2 and 4. There were also two people on board in their 30s and one person in their 20s, whose names are being withheld pending confirmation of family notifications. Robert Sumwalt, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board and CBS News transportation safety expert, said it is very difficult to regain control of an airplane after it is lost due to icing. He said ice on the wings can be fatal. “First, it adds weight, but more importantly it disrupts the smooth flow of air across the top of the wings and any interruption in the flow of air across the top of the wing can severely affect the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft,” he said. The NTSB will lead the investigation. “We have some indications that the plane was breaking up before impact,” NTSB board member Tom Chapman said at a news conference Monday afternoon. “It is possible that we will find parts of the plane at some distance from the actual impact site.” No one on the ground was killed in the crash, but the NTSB said one person suffered a leg injury. People who were nearby at the time described the intensity of the impact. “It seemed like it was right next to us,” Aki Kuusisto said. “It’s like driving down the highway, we heard the hiss and the roar and you could feel it in the car, it was very close.” Other witnesses described their house shaking and lights flickering. More from CBS News Go deeper with The Free Press in:
