NTSB Recovers Cockpit Voice Recorder as Learjet 60 Crash Site Cleared

The cockpit voice recorder from the Learjet 60 that crashed in Palm Beach County on Nov. 1, killing all nine people aboard, has been recovered and taken to the National Transportation Safety Board's Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, D.C., the agency said Monday evening.

The recovery closed out a week of on-site work by NTSB investigators and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office at the impact site on South Military Trail near 10th Avenue North in Greenacres, where the crash gouged a large crater across several lanes. The Sheriff's Office said deputies and forensic specialists have "demobilized from the scene" and that the site has been examined and processed. It was the deadliest aviation crash in the county in more than 80 years.

What does the wreckage tell investigators?

The NTSB said Monday that investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder along with pieces from both wings and engines, the flight deck and aileron sections, among other components. Some parts have been sent to NTSB laboratories in Washington for inspection.

The agency disclosed last week that the jet's left tail elevator — the control surface governing the aircraft's up-and-down pitch — was found in three pieces scattered between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the impact site. That distribution is evidence that key parts of the aircraft broke off before the jet hit the ground.

What happened in the final minutes?

The private business jet flew into stormy weather and encountered turbulence shortly before 1 p.m. on Nov. 1. Co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, relayed a "mayday" call to air traffic controllers stating the crew was "in an overspeed condition" while losing altitude at more than 20,000 feet per minute. The jet crashed moments later, killing Filgueiras, pilot Jeffrey Gregory, 55, and seven passengers.

The overspeed reference and the in-flight breakup evidence will now be tested against the recorder data and laboratory analysis of the recovered structures.

What does this change for residents and the road?

Roughly 350 to 400 residents of the Green Acres Mobile Home Community, displaced since the crash, were cleared to return starting Monday night, the county said in a news release. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores, whose district includes the crash area, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel he aims to complete returns within "the next couple of days."

Flores said homes in the community have been inspected for safety and all but three have been deemed safe. Water service has been restored. Residents who cannot yet return have received assistance with temporary housing.

The Florida Department of Transportation will begin repairing the road damage. Military Trail remains closed between 10th Avenue North and Cresthaven Boulevard, with drivers directed to use 10th Avenue North, Haverhill Road and Cresthaven Boulevard as detours.

What relief is being organized?

The county's Emergency Operations Center has operated at partial level 2 activation since the day of the crash. An order declaring a state of local emergency was extended Sunday and remains in place until Nov. 15.

Flores said officials will launch a business relief program on Wednesday for businesses affected by the crash and the road closures, with funds administered through the county's Economic and Housing Development Department. United Way of Palm Beach County has also established a disaster relief fund, with donations directed to residents affected by both the crash and the widespread flooding that hit the county early last week.

With the field phase complete, the investigation now shifts entirely to Washington, where recorder analysis and structural inspection will determine whether the in-flight breakup followed the overspeed event or preceded it.