By Sohaib Shams
A crucial part of the Learjet 60 that crashed in Florida on Sunday has been discovered miles from the impact site, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Investigation Findings
NTSB member Tom Chapman said Tuesday that the majority of the aircraft's left elevator, a control surface on the tail that manages pitch, was located in three pieces between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the accident site in Cresthaven. The components are being retained for analysis.
The plane, bound for the Bahamas after departing Austin, Texas, crashed around 12:50 p.m., killing all nine on board. Witnesses captured footage of the jet striking the ground and exploding. Audio recordings reveal the co-pilot issued a mayday call, reporting a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute. Prior to the crash, the crew reported ice accumulation and turbulence that displaced the aircraft 700 feet.
Chapman said it remains unclear whether the elevator detached before or during the plunge, and whether the pilot could have recovered control even if it had remained attached. The cause of the crash is still unknown.
Expert Analysis
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti suggested the component could have been lost during turbulence or the descent, potentially explaining the missile-like trajectory before impact.
Victims Identified
Among the dead were pilot Jeff Gregory, 55, co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, a family of four including Retention founder Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their children Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, along with their nanny Anita Maria Apellido Cetina and family friends Charmi Fehr and Rachael Reed.
