Learjet parts found miles from crash site in Florida, NTSB says

(Bloomberg) — Parts of a private plane that crashed in Florida on Sunday, killing nine people, were found miles from the impact site, suggesting they broke off before the plane hit the ground, according to U.S. aviation safety investigators.

Most of the Learjet 60’s left elevator was located in three pieces about 1.3 to 3.8 miles from the crash site, Tom Chapman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Administration told reporters Tuesday. The elevator is located on the tail of the aircraft and controls whether the nose is pointed up or down.

“Knowing that he’s missing is a very important piece of evidence that will point us to other things that need to be investigated,” Chapman said. The distance suggests it broke off before impact, but the NTSB is still trying to determine whether the loss of a piece contributed to the accident or whether it was a result of the forces acting on the plane as it began to descend toward the ground.

Investigators are looking into what caused a fatal crash in Palm Beach County, Florida. While communicating with air traffic controllers, one of the Learjet 60 pilots reported mild turbulence, icing and precipitation. The aircraft climbed briefly before nosediving at high speed. The crash created a large crater in the road.

The NTSB previously said weather conditions are the main focus of its investigation.

A public relations firm for the families of the crash victims said tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson was on the plane with his wife Helen Sharp and their two children. Babysitter Anita Maria Cetina was also among the passengers, as were Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, according to a joint statement.

News sources said the plane’s pilots were 55-year-old Jeff Gregory and 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras.

Authorities have not publicly confirmed the victims’ identities, but Chapman said Tuesday that the NTSB knows the names of the victims and is “keeping them in our thoughts.”

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