Federal investigators examining Sunday’s fatal Learjet 60 crash in Palm Beach County announced Tuesday that key pieces of the aircraft, including its left tail elevator, were recovered up to 3.8 miles away from the main impact site, the Sun Sentinel reported.
Debris Scatter Spans Nearly Four Miles
The National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the jet’s left elevator—which controls the up-and-down pitch of the aircraft—was discovered on Monday broken into three pieces. NTSB member Tom Chapman stated during a Tuesday afternoon news conference that the debris was scattered across a range of 1.3 miles to 3.8 miles away from the primary impact zone on South Military Trail, located between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North.
According to CNN, the private business jet took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas at 9:37 a.m. CT on Sunday, bound for the Bahamas with nine people on board. Flight tracking data and air traffic control audio show that just before 1 p.m., the pilot reported light clear ice and moderate turbulence before requesting a climb to 37,000 feet. The pilot says the temperature is -47C (-52F) and reports “light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence.” 12:48:00 p.m. Within seconds, the flight descended rapidly from 35,000 feet, dropping up to 20,000 feet per minute before crashing violently into a major South Florida road. ET: In the plane’s final transmission, the pilot says, “We’re out of time.”
NTSB to hold its second media briefing today on its investigation into Sunday's crash of a Learjet 60 airplane in Palm Beach County, Florida. NTSB Member Tom Chapman will brief the media at 3:00 p.m. EST at the Emergency Operations Center, 20 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach,…
The recovery of the elevator pieces far from the main wreckage holds immense significance for the ongoing probe. Chapman noted that it confirms portions of the aircraft separated before impact. We don’t know yet … But finding that piece is a very, very significant bit of evidence,
Chapman told reporters.
Severe Weather Hampers Recovery Efforts at Crash Site
Public works teams collaborated with the NTSB on Tuesday to drain standing water from the large crater gouged into South Military Trail by the nose-diving jet. Crews also removed an unstable utility pole from the site, paving the way for investigators to begin examining the crater itself.
Plane crash updates | Husband, wife, children among those killedhttps://t.co/bNV4k1QCiV
Severe weather has severely hampered recovery efforts. Heavy thunderstorms moved through Palm Beach County on Monday, and lingering storm threats continued to complicate fieldwork on Tuesday. The National Transportation Safety Board urged local community members who encounter scattered wreckage to avoid touching or moving the pieces and to report them immediately to local authorities or federal investigators.
The disaster displaced hundreds of nearby residents, many living in a mobile home park bordering the crash site in Greenacres. County emergency officials announced that South Military Trail between 10th Avenue North and Cresthaven Boulevard will remain closed indefinitely, with motorists directed to use 10th Avenue North, Haverhill Road, and Cresthaven Boulevard as detours.
Victims and Final Moments Aboard the Flight
“Mayday, Mayday, we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute!” Filgueiras could be heard desperately calling out over the radio. It was completely different seeing the world from the top.” “We had a daughter, her husband and two grandchildren on the plane.”
“They were incredible professionals and genuinely wonderful people,” Mixon wrote of the two pilots, who were among those killed.
I can not even imagine what the families of those on board must be feeling today. Such a terrible tragedy. https://t.co/2CpS1j2H71
More on South Military Trail
What Caused a Jet to Dive Nose First Into the Ground? https://t.co/eA6ytyvQNK
