The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the Learjet 60 that crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all 9 people aboard. The recorder was found at the aircraft’s initial impact site and has been sent to Washington, D.C., for examination.
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.
The NTSB said the recorder is being evaluated at its Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington. Investigators will examine its contents as part of the ongoing effort to determine what happened during the aircraft’s final moments.
The agency also confirmed that excavation work at the initial impact site has been completed. The recovery of the CVR marks another step in the investigation, which has involved examining debris scattered across the area and recovering aircraft components found miles from the crash site.
During an earlier briefing, the NTSB said pieces of the aircraft’s left elevator were found in 3 separate locations between approximately 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site. Investigators have also collected dashcam footage and eyewitness accounts to help reconstruct the flight.
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 cause of the crash remains under investigation. The NTSB has not released any findings from its examination of the cockpit voice recorder.