A crucial part of the private jet that crashed in Florida on Sunday was found in fragments far from the impact site. The fiery crash killed all nine people aboard. The part, a mechanism that controls the plane's angle, was found in three pieces, including at a spot nearly four miles from the crash site.
Federal investigators called the discovery "very important evidence." However, it remains unclear whether the tail part broke off before or during the plane's plunge. The recovery was progress in an investigation hampered by powerful storms. Severe thunderstorms were present in Palm Beach County when the Learjet 60 crashed nose-first onto a road, erupting into a fireball.
Much of the wreckage remains in a crater still off-limits to investigators. The extreme impact force meant most evidence was in very small pieces. Investigators do not know what most fragments are.
The aircraft's cockpit voice recorder is among the missing critical pieces. Officials confirmed a recorder was supposed to be on board but could not verify its presence. The pilots were Jeff Gregory, 55, and Nathalia Filgueiras, 20.
Among the passengers were technology executive Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their children Emma and Charlie, plus nanny Anita Maria Cetina. The family was flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas. According to air traffic control exchanges, pilots initially sought permission to fly through a large thunderstorm system.
A controller warned of bad weather, and they changed course. Minutes later, the pilot reported moderate turbulence and manageable icing and precipitation. Shortly after, the pilots lost control, issuing a mayday call as the plane plummeted.
The rate of descent was 22,000 feet per minute.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing