Photo: Giorgio Viera / Reuters (November 1)
Federal investigators recovered most of a crashed Learjet’s left elevator miles from the impact site in Palm Beach County, Florida, National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said Tuesday, adding evidence that parts separated before the jet struck the ground. The crash killed all nine people aboard, and its cause remains undetermined.
At the agency’s final on-site briefing, Chapman said the movable tail surface was found in three pieces between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the main wreckage. The elevator helps control whether an aircraft’s nose points up or down.
Asked about the crash’s proximity to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property and any possible connection to Secret Service operations, Chapman said: “There is no evidence of connection. Purely coincidence,” according to Fox News. That statement does not identify the cause of the accident.
Debris offers evidence, not a final explanation
The discovery establishes that at least some aircraft components separated before impact, but investigators have not determined whether the elevator’s separation contributed to the loss of control or resulted from forces acting on the aircraft during its descent.
“What that means exactly in terms of what caused the aircraft to lose control, or whether the loss of this piece was a result of the forces on the aircraft, we don’t know yet,” Chapman said, according to aviation publication AVweb. He called finding the component “a very, very significant bit of evidence.”
The Learjet 60 was flying from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas when it crashed Sunday, November 1. Seven passengers and two crew members were aboard. The new findings build on the preliminary evidence of an in-flight breakup described in our earlier coverage.
The crew had reported light clear ice and moderate turbulence at about 35,000 feet before requesting a climb to 37,000 feet. Less than 30 seconds after controllers approved the request, the crew reported descending and issued a mayday call, Fox reported. Those communications describe the emergency, not an established explanation for it.
Recovery continues at a water-filled crater
Investigators are preparing to remove water from the impact crater and recover additional components. Severe weather has complicated the work, and weather remains a major focus of the investigation. That focus is not a finding that weather caused the crash.
Chapman said investigators had received dashcam footage and multiple eyewitness accounts that could help reconstruct the aircraft’s condition and final moments. Investigators are also reviewing maintenance and crew records, AVweb reported.
The crash has disrupted nearby neighborhoods as well as the aviation investigation. Roughly 600 residents were evacuated, Fox reported, citing The Palm Beach Post. Officials said at Tuesday’s briefing that Military Trail remained closed in both directions between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane, with no timetable given for reopening or for displaced residents to return.
Recovered wreckage is being retained for analysis. Officials urged anyone who finds possible aircraft debris to leave it untouched and notify authorities. The investigation must still establish the sequence of failures and why the aircraft lost control; Tuesday’s briefing did not announce a probable cause.
JBizNews Desk | Florida
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