Investigators have recovered three pieces accounting for most of a Learjet 60’s left elevator between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site near Greenacres, Florida. The NTSB is examining the wreckage from the aircraft, operated by Aurora Aviation as Upper Jet, which crashed on 1 November, killing all nine people aboard. The discovery indicates that part of the aircraft separated before impact, but investigators have not determined when or why.
NTSB board member Tom Chapman described the finds at a briefing on 3 November. The elevator controls the aircraft’s pitch; Chapman said the crew would not have been able to recover from the dive without it intact. Investigators have not established whether the elevator’s loss contributed to the loss of control or whether it separated during the sequence leading to the crash.
The Learjet was en route from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Recovery and excavation work at the site was continuing as of 5 November, when investigators also reported finding part of an engine. Recovered wreckage is to be taken to a secure location for examination. The NTSB’s investigation remains ongoing, and the elevator discovery does not establish the cause of the crash.