Learjet parts found miles from Florida crash site, NTSB says
Investigators found tail components of the private jet several miles from the impact site, suggesting they broke off before the plane hit the ground.
Investigators have found parts of the Learjet 60 that crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, which killed nine people, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The aircraft was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it nosedived into a roadway, according to reports from Mint and BBC News.
NTSB member Tom Chapman told reporters on Tuesday that the majority of the aircraft's left elevator was located in three pieces between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site. The elevator is a control surface on the tail used to manage the upward and downward movement of the plane's nose.
Chapman stated that the distance of the parts suggests they broke off before the plane hit the ground. He said investigators are working to determine if the loss of the part contributed to the accident or if forces on the aircraft caused it to separate.
During communications with air traffic controllers, the crew reported moderate turbulence, ice, and precipitation. One pilot reported the aircraft was in an overspeed condition while descending at 20,000 feet per minute, according to BBC News.
The victims included pilot Jeff Gregory, 55, and co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20. Passengers identified in a joint statement included technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their two children, Emma and Charlie, caretaker Anita Maria Cetina, and Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.
The NTSB is currently investigating the role weather played in the crash, as the aircraft encountered ice and turbulence before the impact.