But Flight Had Been Normal Up Until Accident Approach

The NTSB said that the Learjet 35 that went down Monday on approach to Teterboro Airport had flown a "routine" flight right up until it went down on approach, fatally injuring the pilot and copilot on board.

The website NJ.com reports that, according to NTSB investigator Jim Silliman, the flight appeared to be normal up until the approach, when it went "out of control" for no apparent reason. "There wasn't anything out of the ordinary up until then," Silliman said. "But it would appear that the aircraft, at that last moment, was out of control. Why it got there is the subject of our investigation."

Silliman said that conversations between the pilot and ATC were normal. A security video obtained by the NTSB shows the plane in a sharp right, nose-low bank as it impacts terrain. The post-impact fire affected three buildings at the accident scene.

Silliman said that the winds on Monday afternoon were 16 knots gusting to about 26 knots. He said other pilots managed the wind that day with no issues all around the northeast.

The identities of the pilot and copilot have not been released pending positive identification by a medical examiner.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov, Original report