Florida Jet Emergency: 26,000-Foot Dive After Turbulence

At 35,000 feet over Florida, the ride got rough.

Say outside air temperature. Negative 47 degrees Celsius.

We're managing the ice, but it is moderate turbulence.

At minus 47, water is already frozen and ice crystals mostly bounce off a plane.

Ice that builds up points to a powerful storm, lifting liquid water from far below, and storms were building over South Florida.

The crew asked to climb above it. And now we're picking up precipitation.

We need to climb, um, 370. Climb and maintain flight level 370.

Less than 30 seconds later... November 2 Bravo Delta, we're descending 8,000. Mayday. Mayday.

We're descending 10,000 feet per minute.

Something had gone badly wrong. A jet like this can glide for miles, even with no engines.

This one wasn't gliding, it was diving. Declare emergency, November 2 Bravo Delta.

We are in an overspeed condition. Descending 20,000 feet per minute.

Altitude's your discretion. Let me know what you need.

Overspeed means faster than the jet was built to fly.

November 2 Bravo Delta, I'm here with you.

Talk to me. We are descending 22,000 feet and we are banking 60.

In just over a minute, they fell 26,000 feet.

November 2 Bravo Delta, roger.