Investigators find a key tail piece nearly four miles from where a Learjet crashed in Florida, killing nine people
The tail section of Learjet 60 N722BD, whose co-pilot was heard screaming the jet was descending at 20,000 feet per minute in an overspeed condition before impact.Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras (left), the co-pilot, pictured with pilot Jeff Gregory, whose final recorded words were the Lord's Prayer as the Learjet plunged towards the ground.Dashcam footage of the Learjet 60's impact near West Palm Beach, as Transport Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash "a horrific tragedy.Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their children Emma and Charlie, who were among the nine killed; the crew had reported light icing and requested clearance to climb to 37,000 feet before issuing a mayday call less than 30 seconds later.
Investigators say the Learjet 60's left elevator — the tail component controlling pitch — sheared off and was found in three separate pieces up to 3.8 miles from the crater, strongly suggesting the aircraft was breaking apart before impact. NTSB member Tom Chapman confirmed the crash has no connection to Mar-a-Lago or Secret Service operations, calling any link "purely coincidence." Pilot Jeff Gregory, 55, and 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras reported ice accumulation and 700-foot turbulence jolts before the jet went down at close to 20,000 feet per minute.
A piece of debris punched through Ana Escobar's roof less than a mile from the crash site, destroying her kitchen ceiling and leaving water pouring in.
Investigators are still hunting for the cockpit voice recorder, which could prove crucial; the NTSB warns the full inquiry may take more than a year.
Chapman said even if the elevator had stayed attached, it may have been useless at the speed the doomed jet was travelling.
