Social media speculation grows over identity of female pilot in Florida crash
Authorities have not officially identified the nine people killed when a Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County on November 1.
A Learjet 60 aircraft crashed in a residential area of Greenacres in Palm Beach County on November 1, killing all nine people on board, according to The Times of India. The aircraft, registered as N722BD, was travelling from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas when the accident occurred.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed nine people were aboard, but the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and local authorities had not released their identities as of November 2. Social media speculation has focused on two individuals, Alexandra Dudgeon and Nathalia Filgueiras, as the identity of the female pilot heard in cockpit recordings remains unconfirmed.
Dudgeon, who was linked to the aviation company Upper Jets by social media users, released a statement saying she was not involved in the accident. She noted that people had been posting her LinkedIn profile across social media platforms.
Flight-tracking data and air traffic control recordings indicate the crew reported icing conditions, moderate turbulence, and precipitation before the aircraft began losing altitude rapidly. The pilot reported an accelerating descent that eventually reached a rate of 20,000 feet per minute.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash, though the cause has not been established. The identities of the nine occupants remain unconfirmed by officials.