A federal investigation is underway into the tragic Learjet crash in Florida that killed nine people onboard, including tech tycoon Adam Robinson and his family. Meteorologists who reviewed air traffic control audio and image from the crash hint that weather, icing and turbulence could have caused the tragedy.
Authorities, including the NTSB and FAA, are examining whether severe weather, including icing and turbulence, contributed to the aircraft's rapid descent and subsequent impact.
Though the US National Transportation Safety Board has claimed that the atmospheric conditions were a 'major focus' of their inquiry, aviation experts speculate that the jet could have encountered a dangerous phenomenon known as 'coffin corner' as its pilots tried to climb above two storm systems, or cells.
What is coffin corner?
The coffin corner refers to a place in the sky where flying too slow and flying too fast can be deadly. The gap between the two can be narrower than the length of a bus. Inside the Coffin Corner, there is no room for error. If the aircraft goes too slow, the wing wing loses lift and the aircraft enters a high-altitude stall or low-speed buffet. If it goes too fast, the airflow over the wings approaches or exceeds the speed of sound, creating shock waves, severe vibration, loss of control, or "Mach tuck" (a nose-down pitching moment).
Robert Joslin, a professor in the department of aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, highlighted the extremely high rate of descent.
The plane was likely traveling at several hundred miles per hour when it smashed into a grassy area outside a mobile home community in Palm Beach County, experts said, which likely is at an estimated speed of of 300 to 400 mph. Some estaimated that the plane was traveling at about 500 mph when it hit the ground.
"There was an extremely high rate of descent," Joslin told USA TODAY, highlighting one of the pilots' statement that the plane reached an "overspeed condition." He says this meant that the plane was traveling faster than its maximum operating speed.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis compared the falling plane to a missile. "It was a big-time tragedy that happened," DeSantis told reporters near the crash site. "When you see that video, it's a jarring thing. It was like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere."
Other explanations include turbulence and icing, which can hamper the ability to maneuver an aircraft. As for turbulence, it can disrupt airflow into the engines and, in severe cases, cause structural damage.
