Palm Beach Learjet Crash Update: NTSB Recovers Part of an Engine From the Crater

Developing story. This latest update follows BizJet Brief's earlier report, "NTSB Turns to the Crater as Upper Jets Says It Is Cooperating."

National Transportation Safety Board investigators digging out the impact crater left by the Learjet 60 that crashed near Greenacres, Florida, on Nov. 1 have recovered a portion of one of the jet's engines, the agency said Thursday. All nine people aboard were killed.

In an update posted Nov. 5 to its investigation page for ERA27MA026, the NTSB said excavation work at the crash site "began late yesterday and continues today, which included finding a portion of one engine." The agency did not say which engine the section came from or where the wreckage is being taken, stating only that all recovered wreckage "will be sent to a secure location for further examination."

The dig began after crews spent days pumping rainwater out of the crater, which filled as storms moved through the area, USA Today reported. NTSB Board Member Tom Chapman had said earlier in the week that investigators expected to find critical aircraft components there.

Debris on rooftops

The NTSB also said debris has been found away from the impact location, "and also on the roofs of homes and buildings near the crash site."

WPBF's investigative team went onto the roof of a nearby triplex where a twisted piece of metal believed by residents to be from the jet had punched through the shingles, according to its sister station WBAL. Part of a neighbor's kitchen ceiling later collapsed. Resident Anthony Blackmon said sheriff's deputies recovered the roughly foot-long piece. The NTSB has not publicly confirmed whether that particular piece came from the Learjet.

"It's a really tragic moment for everybody. May they rest in peace," Blackmon told WPBF.

New video obtained by WPBF shows investigators working inside the drained crater, collecting small fragments of the aircraft by hand. CBS12 reported the same NTSB findings on Thursday evening. Military Trail remains closed between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, with access limited to residents, WPBF reported.

A request to the public

The NTSB is asking anyone who has picked up debris not to keep it, move it, alter it or throw it away. "Even small pieces of the wreckage may contain important evidence that could help investigators determine what happened," the agency said. Residents should email witness@ntsb.gov, with a photo if possible, so investigators can arrange collection.

What has not changed

The NTSB has not said whether the cockpit voice recorder has been found. Chapman said earlier that maintenance records show a CVR was installed at some point, but investigators did not know whether it was still aboard on Nov. 1.

As previously reported, most of the jet's left elevator was found in three pieces between about 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the main wreckage. Investigators have not determined whether that separation contributed to the loss of control or occurred afterward. Weather the crew encountered remains a focus of the inquiry. BizJet Brief will not speculate on the cause.

The Learjet 60, registered N722BD, was operated by Aurora Aviation doing business as Upper Jet on a flight from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera, Bahamas. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has identified all nine victims: Captain Jeffrey Gregory, First Officer Nathalia Filgueiras, Adam Robinson, Helen Sharp, Emma and Charles Robinson, Ana Maria Ramirez Cetina, Rachel Reed and Rowan "Charmi" Fehr Toews.

The NTSB typically releases a preliminary report of facts within about 30 days. The probable cause comes in a final report, generally one to two years later.

BizJet Brief will continue to update this developing story as official information is released.