Jamaican Officials Suspend Search For Crashed Socata TBM-900

The Jamaican Defense Force (JDF) has suspended the search for the crashed Socata TBM-900 due to bad weather, at 4 p.m. local time September 7.

The single-engine Socata TBM-900 aircraft was scheduled to land in Naples, Florida, at noon Friday. Military fighter jets scrambled to monitor the aircraft after the pilot did not respond to communication.

According to Civil/Military Co-operation Officer Capt. Basil Jarett of the Jamaican Defense Force, the U.S. Coast guards have also temporarily ended the search for the day. The JDF, later aided by the United States Coast Guard, for the past 48 hours has been directing search operations for the single engine Socata TBM-900 aircraft which crashed in the Caribbean Sea on Friday.

The U.S. Coast Guard last night (Saturday) suspended its participation in the search and rescue efforts as the probability of success or the likelihood of any survivors is minimal.

Captain Basil Jarrett, told journalists at a press conference at the army’s Up Park Camp headquarters that the search was concentrated around an oil slick in the area believed to be the crash site.

“Our latest information is that an oil slick indicative of where the aircraft may have gone down has been spotted in the area where we suspect the crash took place, and our search-and-rescue technicians continue the search for possible survivors.”

The couple’s three children — Mindy, Rick, and Ken — also released a statement saying they were devastated by the news of the crash.

“We understand that there are many questions yet to be answered about today’s (yesterday’s) events and we, too, are awaiting answers,” the statement noted.

Larry Glazer and his wife Jane were the only passengers on the Socata TBM-9OO aircraft that crashed 14 miles northeast off the coast of Port Antonio, Jamaica. It was reported that the pilot of the Socata TBM-900, Larry Glazer, had radioed air traffic control for permission to descend twice before falling unconscious at the controls.

In a recorded radio conversation between prominent real estate executive Mr. Glazer and air traffic control, he had asked to descend his height — a request that had been granted. However, contact with the TBM-900 aircraft was lost soon after.

According to The Associated Press, the recording hears Mr. Glazer saying, “We need to descend down to about [18,000 feet]. We have an indication that’s not correct in the plane.”

The controller told him to fly at 25,000 feet. “We need to get lower,” Mr Glazer replied, to which the controller said, “Working on that.”

The couple had taken off in the Socata TBM-900 aircraft at 8:45 a.m. local time and controllers made their last contact at 10 a.m. U.S. fighter jet pilots said when they looked into the TBM-900, they saw the pilot slumped over and the windows frosted.

The TMB-900 aircraft flew through the Cuban airspace before crashing off the coast of Port Antonio, in the Caribbean Sea.

[Image via jdfmil.org]