Learjet tail parts found 3.8 miles from Florida crash site
NTSB investigators recovered the left elevator in fragments, confirming the aircraft broke apart before impact Sunday.
By Luana Sato ·
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed Tuesday that the left elevator of the Learjet that crashed in Florida was found in three separate pieces up to 3.8 miles from the impact site. NTSB member Tom Chapman stated that the discovery confirms the aircraft was breaking apart before it hit the ground near Greenacres on Sunday afternoon.
The debris was located between 1.3 miles and 3.8 miles from the crash zone. Chapman noted that without the intact elevator, which controls the plane's pitch, the pilot could not have pulled the jet out of its nosedive. He added that at the speed of the descent, the control might not have been effective even if it had remained attached, but the loss of the part is a key piece of evidence for further investigation.
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti told The Associated Press that the broken pieces were likely a byproduct of the nosedive rather than the initial cause. He explained that if the parts had separated at high altitude, they would have traveled much farther. Their proximity to the crash site suggests they fell away closer to the ground.
The crash killed all nine people aboard the aircraft, which departed from Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas. Victims included technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two young children. Jeff Gregory, 55, served as a crew member in the cockpit. Friends believe a voice reciting the Lord's Prayer heard in the final radio transmissions belonged to Gregory. Thomas Noetzel, director of operations for Upper Jets, launched a fundraiser for Gregory's family, describing him as a devoted and faithful man.
Co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras reported severe weather conditions in her final communications. About 10 minutes before the crash, she texted a family member that she was dealing with turbulence and ice. In the final two minutes, her radio calls became urgent as the plane plummeted. She reported that ice was accumulating and turbulence had shifted the aircraft by more than 700 feet. She told controllers, “We’re going to crash into the ground,” as the jet descended at a rate of more than 20,000 feet per minute.
The jet struck the earth with enough force to create a crater and burst into flames. One person on the ground was injured, and approximately 600 nearby residents remain displaced. Investigators plan to access the crater on Wednesday to retrieve critical components after days of heavy rain. A preliminary NTSB report is expected in about a month, though determining the probable cause will likely take more than a year.
