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Investigators address potential Donald Trump connection after deadly Florida Learjet crash that killed all nine on board
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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has provided updates on its investigation into the Learjet 60 that crashed into a South Florida neighborhood.
The Bahamas-bound private jet went from flying at an altitude of 35,000 ft to plummeting into the ground in just 76 seconds.
All nine on board were killed in the horrific crash, and all the victims have been identified.
Those on board included entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 44, his wife Helen Sharp, their four-year-old daughter Emma, and their two-year-old son Charlie.
The family was traveling with their nanny, Anita Maria Apellido Cetina, and two close friends, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.
The crew consisted of 55-year-old captain Jeff Gregory and 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras.
Speaking on Tuesday (November 3), the NTSB revealed that it had investigated a reported link between the crash and President Donald Trump.
NTSB reveals key evidence
The NTSB investigators revealed that the majority of the Learjet 60's left elevator was recovered in three pieces, scattered between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site.
They add that the distance between the components suggests that they separated before impact, but it's not clear if a separation contributed to the crash, or if other forces acted on the aircraft.
An investigation is ongoing, with the impact crater expected to be accessed by the NTSB, as teams search for key aircraft components, such as the flight recorders.
Weather conditions are also being considered, as well as aircraft maintenance records and crew qualifications.
Dashcam footage and eyewitness accounts have also been received.
Denial of any links to Trump
The NTSB stated that it's too early to determine the cause of the crash, and that there is no evidence linking the incident to nearby security operations at Mar-a-Lago.
It was suggested that the crash site, which is less than 10 miles from Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, might have forced investigators to examine the likelihood of Secret Service involvement or presidential security systems.
The NTSB official stated that there was no evidence of any connection, and that the location of the crash was a coincidence.
Investigators might have reached out to the Secret Service as part of routine enquiries, but the NTSB official was not aware.
What the NTSB said
National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Thomas B. Chapman told a press conference on Tuesday that the discovery of the left elevator changes the shape of the investigation.
"It tells us that at least some components, some pieces of the aircraft, important pieces of the aircraft separated before the impact," he said.
"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. It's going to take some more analysis."