Air traffic control recordings and flight-tracking information are providing a minute-by-minute account of the Learjet’s final flight, from its departure in Austin, Texas, to its deadly crash in Greenacres, Florida, which claimed the lives of all nine people aboard.
The combined records show the crew navigating turbulence, precipitation and icing before requesting a climb. Moments later, the aircraft entered a sudden, severe descent. An overspeed warning followed, along with an apparent in-flight breakup—events investigators are still working to understand.
Timeline of Learjet N722BD (all times in Eastern Time):
10:37 a.m. — Departure:
Austin technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, boarded the Bombardier Learjet 60 with his wife, Helen Sharp, 40; their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2; the family’s nanny, Anita Maria Cetina; and friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr. The group took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
The Learjet’s route is shown from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport toward the Bahamas before the aircraft crashed in Greenacres, Florida. (Fox News)
11 a.m. — Reaches cruise altitude:
Flight data shows the Learjet reached its cruising altitude of about 41,000 feet. The flight continued without any reported major incident for roughly the next 90 minutes.
12:31 p.m. — Air Traffic Control spots precipitation:
As the Learjet traveled at approximately 41,000 feet, an air traffic controller warned the crew about moderate precipitation about five miles ahead. The pilots were told they could maneuver either left or right before being directed toward a waypoint near Naples, Florida.
Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp were traveling with their two young children when the Learjet flying from Texas to the Bahamas crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Nov. 1. (Fox News)
12:32 p.m. — Flight crew asks for a more direct route:
The pilots asked whether they could fly directly toward the Bahamas, a route that would take them across Florida. Air traffic control approved the request but cautioned that moderate to extreme precipitation lay along the path and that the turn toward the Bahamas appeared unfavorable because of the weather.
12:35 p.m. — Flight crew alters their plan:
The crew revised its plan, telling controllers the aircraft would first head toward Naples before continuing on to the Bahamas.
12:36 p.m. — Air Traffic Control instructs descent:
Controllers directed the Learjet to descend to 35,000 feet.
12:40 p.m. — Air Traffic Control authorizes deviation:
The crew was cleared to deviate left or right to avoid the weather and to continue toward the Bahamas when conditions allowed. Flight-tracking data shows the Learjet moving farther north toward Palm Beach County.
The Learjet 60 crashed into a South Florida neighborhood Sunday afternoon, creating a huge fireball about nine miles from Mar-a-Lago. (Aki Kuusisto via Storyful)
12:47 p.m. — Conditions deteriorate:
The pilots told air traffic control that conditions were worsening. They reported icing and turbulence and asked whether smoother air—a “better ride”—was available ahead.
The crew also said the aircraft was entering precipitation and requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet.
Copilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, left, and Capt. Jeffrey Scott Gregory, 55, right, were flying the Learjet 60 that crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Nov. 1, 2026. (Threads/@itsnatfilg; Facebook/JeffnCheryl Corbin-Gregory)
12:48 p.m. — Learjet begins climbing, then rapidly descends:
The Learjet climbed to 35,450 feet—short of the approved 37,000 feet—before entering a rapid descent. The crew issued a mayday as the aircraft dropped at roughly 10,000 feet per minute. Shortly afterward, the descent rate accelerated to about 20,000 feet per minute.
The controller told the crew they had discretion over their altitude and asked what assistance they needed. Moments later, the pilots responded, “We’re going to crash into the ground.”
The Learjet 60 came down in a South Florida neighborhood Sunday afternoon. (Palm Beach County Fire Rescue)
“I’m here with you. Talk to me,” the controller replied.
12:49 p.m. — The aircraft crashes:
Just before impact, the crew could be heard saying, “Holy f—, we’re out of time!” The aircraft then crashed in Greenacres, Florida.
The approximate crash site in Greenacres, Florida, is shown between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. (Fox News)
Alan Diehl, a former National Transportation Safety Board investigator, told News Outlet that after the Learjet lost controlled flight, the pilots likely had very little ability to recover the aircraft.
“For all intents and purposes, they were passengers,” he said.
Diehl compared the situation to “painting yourself in the corner,” saying the crew faced several potentially dangerous choices with no clearly safe option. “The key point here is that they did not have much time … You have literally seconds to respond, and at some point it may have been impossible.”
