Florida Learjet 60 crash investigation: NTSB recovers engines and flight controls
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US investigators say they have recovered parts of both engines, wings and flight control systems from the Learjet 60 that crashed in Florida on 1 November, killing all nine people on board.
Posting on X, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shared its latest update today (8 November), confirming that parts of the wreckage have now been sent to its laboratories in Washington for further examination.
The development comes as investigators continue to try and establish why the jet, operated by Aurora Aviation under the Upper Jets name, crashed in Palm Beach County.
Which parts of the crashed Learjet 60 have been found?
The NTSB says it has found components from both wings, both engines, the flight deck, vertical stabilizer, left elevator, aileron sections and multiple flap track assemblies.
It said it had also recovered the jet’s horizontal stabilizer – this had appeared to be missing in harrowing video footage of the crash that was shared on social media.
Last week, experts from the NTSB found part of the engine as they excavated the crash crater.
And NTSB board member Tom Chapman also confirmed at a press conference last week that three sections of the Learjet’s left elevator had been found between 1.3-3.8 miles from the crash site.
Speaking at the briefing, he said investigators are examining whether the aircraft began to break up in-flight before impact.
And he said: “Certainly it tells us that at least some components, some pieces of the aircraft, important pieces of the aircraft, separated before the impact.
“What that means exactly in terms of what caused the aircraft to lose control, or whether the loss of this piece was a result of the forces on the aircraft, we don’t know yet.”
The elevator moves up or down to change the aircraft’s pitch.
What investigators know so far
- The Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on 1 November.
- All nine people onboard were killed.
- Wreckage from both engines, wings and flight control systems has been recovered.
- Parts of the aircraft were found several miles from the impact site.
- Investigators are examining weather conditions and possible in-flight breakup.
- No cause has been determined.
Investigation continues at crash site
In its update, the NTSB confirmed that it is still excavating the impact site.
Excavation work at the crash site began on 4 November. The NTSB revealed debris has been found away from the impact location and also on the roofs of homes and buildings near the crash site.
An unstable utility pole had to be removed before experts could access the impact crater.
Speaking at an earlier press conference, Chapman said: “I feel confident that they’re going to find the evidence that they need within that crater despite the challenges.
“I feel confident they’re going to find what they need to help put together what happened here and why it happened.”
How will investigators establish what happened to the Learjet?
Tom Chapman told the press conference on Wednesday: “What we often do is we try to lay out the aircraft in such a way that we can try to identify as much as possible the shape, the form and the location of various components that we’ve found.
“Sometimes that helps us identify something that may have occurred which may not be obvious. The force of this impact very severely damaged the remnants of this wreckage so I don’t know how realistic it is that we’re going to be able to do that, but that is a possibility in terms of the investigation as it goes forward.”
What caused the Florida Learjet 60 crash?
The Learjet was travelling from Austin, Texas to the Bahamas when the crew reported encountering icing, turbulence and precipitation before the aircraft entered a rapid descent.
The NTSB said weather conditions and evidence of an in-flight breakup are both being investigated. It has not confirmed a cause of the crash, and the investigation is ongoing.
They are also asking people to get in touch if they find parts of the jet, saying: “Recovering all available wreckage is critical to the investigation and helping to determine the cause of the crash.”
The seven passengers have been named as entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 44, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, their two children Emma, four, and Charlie, two. Also onboard was the family’s nanny Anita Maria Cetina and two family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.
The pilot has been identified as Jeff Gregory, 55, from Pennsylvania and the co-pilot as Nathalia Gadelha, 20.
