Months before a Learjet crashed outside West Palm Beach, Florida, killing its occupants, the co-pilot was heard being reprimanded by air traffic control for downplaying turbulence during a separate flight. Audio from an earlier incident involving the aircraft has surfaced, detailing a tense exchange where the controller instructed the pilot to "stop that crap." The Learjet, valued at $2 million, plummeted to the ground near West Palm Beach, leaving a significant crater.
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, was identified as the co-pilot aboard the flight that crashed.
The recovered audio from a prior incident in New Jersey highlights an interaction where the controller expressed frustration with the pilot's response to turbulence. The exchange suggests a pattern of communication or handling of conditions that warrants further scrutiny in light of the fatal crash.
Federal authorities are conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the Sunday crash. The incident, which was captured on dashcam footage, showed the jet in a nearly vertical descent before impacting the ground. The investigation aims to uncover all factors contributing to the accident.