Learjet crash kills nine in Palm Beach County

A Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County on November 1, killing all nine people aboard and prompting the evacuation of nearby mobile-home residents. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating; it has not determined what caused the crash. The aircraft was traveling from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas when it went down near Greenacres, shortly before 1 p.m. The victims included technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, their children Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina, who cared for the children. The two pilots also died. NTSB member Tom Chapman said the crew reported light ice and moderate turbulence at 12:47 p.m. while flying at 35,000 feet, then requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet after reporting precipitation. Less than 30 seconds later, the crew declared a mayday and reported descending. Chapman said the copilot subsequently reported an overspeed condition and descent. Investigators have found indications that the aircraft began breaking apart before impact, Chapman said. Weather is also a major focus of the inquiry. The NTSB has cautioned that it has not...