Published October 17, 2025

The haunting conclusion to the flight of a Mexico-registered Hawker 800XP, which crashed in Bath Township, Michigan, was eerily captured in the last communications with air traffic control. In the audio, the pilot’s voice can be heard frantically repeating the phrase “Stall recovery! Stall recovery!” just before the transmission abruptly ended. This incident, which occurred on a Thursday evening near Clark Road and Peacock Road, tragically resulted in the deaths of all three occupants aboard.

The aircraft was engaged in a post-maintenance test flight, a detail now at the heart of the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) investigation. As recovery operations proceed, the identities of the deceased have yet to be released.

Audio excerpts from LiveATC.net, disclosed by various news outlets, initially show routine communication between the pilot and Air Traffic Control (ATC). This normal exchange shifted dramatically with the pilot’s sudden, urgent call for a stall recovery, indicating a severe aerodynamic stall where the aircraft lost lift and began a rapid descent. Air traffic controllers made immediate efforts to reconnect with the jet and directed nearby planes to look for signs of the crash.

🎧 Listen: [ATC Audio from Michigan Jet Crash](https://www.tmz.com/2025/10/17/private-jet-audio-michigan-bath-township-crash/)

In aviation, a "stall" refers to the aerodynamic loss of lift rather than an engine failure, and "stall recovery" is a critical maneuver to regain control. The repeated commands suggest that the aircraft was possibly in a steep, uncontrollable descent, with recovery maneuvers proving ineffective — likely due to mechanical issues or improper execution of flight systems.

The jet had undergone maintenance at Kellogg Field, managed by Duncan Aviation, and was testing some systems during the flight, according to aviation director Phil Kroll. The flight data shows the aircraft climbed to about 14,775 feet before plunging into a heavily wooded area, complicating rescue efforts.

The federal investigation led by the FAA and NTSB is focused on several key areas: recovery of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), examination of maintenance logs, and assessment of the pilot training and test procedures. These "black boxes" will provide crucial details about the plane's final moments and help determine if the recent maintenance or test flights contributed to the accident.

Legal perspectives are also emerging, as highlighted by Lawyer Monthly. The crash during a post-maintenance test flight raises questions about potential liability, focusing on whether maintenance negligence, pilot error, or a product defect caused the fatal incident.

The coming months will see detailed reports from the NTSB and FAA, which will clarify the sequence of events and potentially pinpoint legal responsibilities for this devastating loss.