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Investigators issue new update on Florida Learjet crash as they complete on-scene activities
Investigators examining the deadly Florida Learjet crash have completed their on-scene investigative work, although efforts to excavate the impact site are still continuing into this week.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed the development in an update posted on X, following the November 1 crash that killed all nine people on board.
Investigators of Learjet crash issue update
In its statement, the agency outlined the locations where investigators had completed their searches.
"The cleared areas include Green Acres Mobile Home Community, Reading Truck, Silver Oaks Plaza, Value Store It Self Storage and John I. Leonard High School," it said.
The NTSB also provided an update on the aircraft wreckage recovered so far, revealing that investigators had identified components from across the jet, which include parts of both wings, both engines, the flight deck, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, the left elevator, sections of the ailerons and several flap track assemblies.
Some of the recovered components have now been taken to NTSB laboratories in Washington, DC for "closer inspection,” with the agency having also renewed its appeal to members of the public who may come across debris from the crash.
Anyone who discovers potential wreckage has been urged not to move, tamper with, or dispose of it, but instead contact investigators so they can arrange to recover the material.
The latest update follows the release of emergency 911 recordings documenting the chaotic moments after the Learjet crashed into a residential area in Greenacres, Florida.
Audio obtained by NBC6 captured one caller describing how they had felt their property shake before going outside after hearing an explosion.
"I think an airplane, a rocket, something fell from the sky," the caller told the emergency dispatcher.
The Learjet had departed Austin, Texas, and was traveling towards the Bahamas when it came down, with the impact leaving a large crater in the road.
Investigators reveal which parts of aircraft have been located
At a press conference on November 3, officials revealed that a significant section of the aircraft had separated before it hit the ground.
NTSB member Tom Chapman confirmed that investigators had located most of the jet's left elevator in several pieces some distance from the crash site, after revealing that significant sections of the plane had separated from the plane before crashing.
"Yesterday, the majority of the aircraft’s left elevator was located in three pieces in a range of 1.3-3.8 miles away from the accident site," Chapman said.
The elevator is positioned at the rear of the aircraft and plays a crucial role in controlling its pitch, allowing the nose to move up or down.
Chapman also confirmed that the Transportation Disaster Assistance (TDA) team was continuing to support the victims' relatives and residents displaced by the incident.