Expert Pilot Explains What Likely Caused SHOCKING Plane Crash in Florida

Discussion of the Aircraft’s Descent

Megyn Kelly and former airline pilot Steve Scheibner discussed whether the pilot’s young age was a concern. Scheibner argued that age alone does not establish inexperience or lack of competence. Pilots begin their careers at different ages, must meet FAA requirements, and often build experience alongside a more experienced pilot. He said the pilot sounded confident and prepared in a brief interview.

Scheibner emphasized that investigators would need to establish what happened rather than draw conclusions from the available radio calls. One major line of inquiry is the reported weather: the crew described icing, turbulence, and precipitation at about 35,000 feet, and reportedly sought clearance to climb before declaring a Mayday.

A Mayday declares an emergency, prompting air traffic control to give the aircraft priority and clear nearby traffic. It does not, by itself, explain why the plane began descending rapidly.

Possible Weather-Related Factors

Scheibner raised questions about whether the crew could see and avoid the storm on radar, whether their route or other instructions affected their path, and whether they were trying to climb over the storm. He noted that thunderstorms can grow quickly and contain powerful updrafts and downdrafts; pilots are generally expected to keep well clear of them.

As a possible—but unconfirmed—mechanism, Scheibner discussed icing from large supercooled water droplets. Ice accumulating in the wrong areas of a wing can disrupt airflow and reduce lift. Combined with severe turbulence or a loss of control, this could potentially lead to a steep, unrecoverable descent.

He stressed that investigators would need to examine the aircraft, the pilots’ decisions, and the surrounding conditions before determining the cause. The discussion did not establish a definitive explanation. Scheibner’s icing and storm-related account was presented as a hypothesis; he said that if icing had caused a stall and steep descent, recovery may have been unlikely.

Presenters and Contributors

• Megyn Kelly
• Steve Scheibner, former airline pilot