Investigators find tail piece of Florida Learjet that killed nine almost four miles away, showing parts broke off before impact
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.
The Learjet 60's left elevator — the tail control surface governing the aircraft's up-and-down pitch — was recovered in three fragments between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the Palm Beach County crater, NTSB member Tom Chapman confirmed Tuesday. The plane was carrying tech tycoon Adam Robinson, 45, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, and their two young children, Emma, four, and Charlie, two, along with three others, en route to the Bahamas for Robinson's birthday. Chapman said investigators still cannot confirm whether the separation caused the nosedive, or whether the piece could have saved the plane even if still attached at that speed.
Jeffrey Gregory, 55, of Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, the aircraft's pilot, was heard reciting the Lord's Prayer in cockpit audio as the jet plummeted at 20,000 feet per minute.
The co-pilot reported ice accumulating on the wings and turbulence bouncing the aircraft 700 feet before sending a mayday call.
Investigators have yet to search the impact crater itself, hoping to access it Wednesday once public works teams clear water damage.
