GREENACRES, Florida — Investigators recovered pieces of a Learjet’s left elevator as far as 3.8 miles from the site of Sunday’s crash that killed all nine people aboard. The discovery shows that part of the aircraft separated before impact, but the National Transportation Safety Board has not determined what caused the jet to lose control.
NTSB member Tom Chapman said most of the left elevator was found in three pieces between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site. The elevator is a tail surface used to control an aircraft’s pitch. Investigators are examining whether the separation played a role in the loss of control or happened because of forces already acting on the aircraft.
The Learjet 60 was traveling from Austin, Texas, toward the Bahamas when it went down near a roadway in Greenacres on November 1. Its final radio calls mentioned ice and turbulence. Those reports, like the newly recovered wreckage, are evidence for investigators to assess; they do not establish a probable cause.
The NTSB is collecting wreckage, video and witness accounts. A preliminary report is expected in about a month. A final probable-cause finding could take more than a year.
Read our earlier report on the final radio calls and the nine people aboard. Our thoughts remain with their families and everyone affected by the crash.
Source: Associated Press reporting on the November 3 NTSB briefing. Updated November 3, 2026.