Florida aircraft crash unanswered questions – ‘coffin nook’, missile and eerie warnings
The tragic plane crash in Florida, which killed nine people, has left investigators scratching their heads as to what could have caused such a sudden and devastating disaster
Nine people died in the crash(Image: Aki Kuusisto via Storyful / AP)
The plane crash near Florida’s West Palm Beach on Sunday, which killed all nine people on board, has left a series of unanswered questions in its tragic wake.
Chief among these is the precise cause of the crash, which has so far left even seasoned aviation investigators struggling to establish what went wrong.
As is too often the case, misinformation has also flooded the internet in the wake of the deadly disaster, leaving the public even more in the dark over what really took place. The Daily Star has compiled everything we know so far about the tragic incident, as well as the questions that still need answering and the falsehoods being peddled online.
Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two children, Emma 4, and Charlie, 2, were among those killed in the crash (Image: Family Handout)
What is ‘coffin corner’
One possible explanation for the disaster involves a terrifying aviation phenomenon known as the “coffin corner”, a rare situation while flying which puts pilots at risk of sudden failiure.
Former pilot Martin Varsavsky was one of many to suggest aht the Learjet 60 may have encountered the phenomenon while attempting to climb above storm clouds.
The ‘coffin corner; occurs at high altitudes when the gap between an aircraft’s stall speed and its maximum safe speed becomes dangerously narrow.
Some experts have suggest that the crash may have been caused by the plane entering ‘coffin corner’(Image: Aki Kuusisto via Storyful / AP)
In simple terms, flying too slowly risks the plane stalling, while flying too quickly can cause equally serious aerodynamic problems.
Varsavsky explained: “What storms do by changing the outside temperature is that airplanes can no longer stay aloft at the same speed.” He added: “It’s called the coffin corner. Or they become very difficult to keep under control.”
However, investigators have not established whether the phenomenon played any role in the crash.
Was the plane hit by a missile?
Footage of the jet plummeting at tertifying speeds towards the ground has fuelled wild speculation online that it could have been struck by a missile.
Even Florida Governor Ron DeSantis compared the plane’s descent to that of a missile, although he did not go as far as to suggest it had been attacked.
The plane left a smouldering crater on a Florida road(Image: Eduin Cruz/FB)
He said: “Obviously, this was a cataclysmic plane crash. It looked like a missile going down. It left a big crater on the side of the road.”
There is currently absolutely no evidence that a missile was involved, with aviation experts instead pointing to the possibility of a catastrophic loss of control.
Eerie warnings before the crash
Perhaps the most heartbreaking details to emerge about the fatal crash are the final messages sent by the aircraft’s young co-pilot.
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, reportedly texted her boyfriend just ten minutes before the crash, warning him about the increasingly dangerous conditions.
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras texted her boyfriend as things started to go wrong (Image: Threads/Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras)
“I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice,” she wrote, according to her stepfather.
“We’re descending 8,000. Mayday, mayday”, before saying: We’re gonna crash into the ground.”
The jet was reportedly descending at around 20,000 feet per minute during its final moments, while the pilot was said to have been heard reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
Did the aircraft break apart in mid-air?
National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman has confirmed that it does appear the plane may have begun to fall apart before hitting the ground
He said: “We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact.”
The small Learjet may have broken up before hitting the ground (Image: FightRadar)
There is no indication what may have caused any potential mid-flight breakup.
Should the plane even have been flying?
The weather conditions have also prompted questions about whether the flight should have gone ahead in the first place.
Veteran pilot Matthew Buckley told the Miami Herald: “I’ve been doing this for 40 years. I would not have been flying in South Florida yesterday. If there’s any doubt, there’s no doubt.”
Some have questioned if the plane should have taken off in the first place (Image: @X)
However, investigators have not concluded that the pilots made an unsafe decision by taking off, and the exact conditions encountered by the jet remain under examination.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman has hit out on X at those speculating about what caused the crash, particularly suggestions blaming the young co-pilot.
He said: “She was doing her job, communicating with [air traffic control] right to the end in a terrifying situation.”
