The NTSB said Tuesday that pieces of the Learjet 60’s left elevator were found scattered miles from the site where the aircraft crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all 9 people aboard.
The Learjet went down around 12:51 p.m. Sunday along South Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North. It was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it crashed into a residential area.
During its second briefing on the investigation, the NTSB said the majority of the aircraft’s left elevator was located in 3 separate pieces scattered between approximately 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site. The recovered components have been retained for further examination.
The elevator is a flight control surface located on the aircraft’s tail that controls its nose-up and nose-down movement. Investigators also confirmed that some important aircraft components separated from the plane before it crashed.
Crews recovered additional critical components from the crater left in the roadway after removing water from the area. The operation required the removal of an unstable utility pole earlier Tuesday, with the NTSB crediting local public works crews for assisting with the recovery effort.
Investigators have also collected dashcam footage and accounts from multiple eyewitnesses to help establish the aircraft’s condition before impact and reconstruct the circumstances of the crash.
All 9 people aboard died, including Texas tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 44, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, their 2 young children, their nanny and 2 family friends. The pilots were identified as captain Jeff Gregory, 55, and co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20.
The NTSB previously said the crew reported ice and moderate turbulence before requesting permission to climb to 37,000 feet. Less than 30 seconds after a mayday call, the aircraft began descending rapidly.
The agency has not determined what caused the crash. Its transportation disaster assistance team is also working with victims’ families and residents displaced by the crash to connect them with needed resources.