Florida plane crash pilot says ‘we’re handling the ice’ before declaring ‘Mayday’
Audio recordings reveal that the pilot of a plane that crashed in Florida, declared Sunday “we manage the ice” shortly before declaring “Mayday.”
The plane crashed into a neighborhood along a busy highway, killing all nine people aboard the plane as it exploded in a massive fireball and left a huge crater in Palm Beach County.
The Learjet 60 left Austin, Texas, and was en route to the Bahamas when the pilot began reporting weather and turbulence problems, according to the FAA.
“We are managing the ice, but the turbulence is moderate,” the pilot of the business jet can be heard saying in an air traffic control audio recording.
The pilot made several distress calls amid severe weather conditions, which authorities believe may have been a factor in the crash.
“722 Bravo Delta, we’re going down at 8,000 feet per minute, Mayday, Mayday, we’re going down at 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot said.
The messages became increasingly alarming in the final moments: “Declare an emergency 722 Bravo Delta, we are overspeeding descent at 20,000 feet per minute.”
The latest data released from the plane showed it was flying at an altitude of nearly 9,000 feet, then nosedive at a speed of more than 32,000 feet per minute, or about 363 mph.
Saul Martinez/Getty Images 
Multiple sources confirmed to CBS News that Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, was the plane’s co-pilot. She was featured in a 2023 report from CBS affiliate WPEC.
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 a plane after losing control due to icing. He said ice on the wings can be deadly.
“Firstly, it adds weight, but more importantly, it disrupts the smooth flow of air over the top of the wings and any disruption to the airflow over the top of the wing can seriously affect the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft,” he said.
No one on the ground died in the accident. People who were nearby at the time described the intensity of its impact.
“It felt like it was right next to us,” Aki Kuusisto said. “It was like we were driving down the road, we heard the whistle and the boom and you could feel it in the car, it was so close.”
Other witnesses described their shaking house and flickering lights.
The NTSB will lead the investigation.
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