Audio exchanged between air traffic control and the Learjet crew in the moments before the crash shows the aircraft descending at an increasingly dangerous rate as the crew attempted to respond.
The recording begins with the crew reporting moderate turbulence and ice. After encountering precipitation, the flight said it intended to climb. It later issued a mayday call, reporting a descent of 10,000 feet per minute.
The situation quickly worsened. The crew said the descent had reached 20,000 feet per minute, while subsequent flight data showed a rate of 32,000 feet per minute, or roughly 360 miles per hour.
As the aircraft continued downward, a crew member told controllers, “We’re going to crash into the ground.” Following a high-pitched scream, the air traffic controller replied, “I’m here with you, talk with me.” The crew member then reported that the aircraft was banking at 60 degrees before the transmission ended.
All nine people aboard died when the plane crashed near the Cresthaven neighborhood, close to Greenacres, Florida, several miles from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.
Sources: TMZ.