NTSB recovers voice recorder from Greenacres Learjet 60 crash

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed the on-scene phase of its investigation into the Learjet 60 crash at Greenacres, Florida, on 1 November, which killed all nine people on board. According to Simple Flying, investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and sent it to the NTSB laboratory in Washington for readout and audio analysis.

Evidence of break-up in the air

Simple Flying reports that NTSB Board Member Tom Chapman confirmed investigators have found evidence that the aircraft began to break up before impact. Debris, including a section of the tail, was located more than 3.8 miles (6.11 km) from the impact crater. The outlet says the loss of critical tail control surfaces left the jet uncontrollable and led to a nose-down, high-speed descent into a residential roadway.

The impact crater initially filled with water during heavy rain, which slowed parts of the recovery until it was pumped out, according to the same report.

The flight and the aircraft

The jet was flying from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) to the Bahamas. Simple Flying says the aircraft appears to have met severe weather, and that air traffic control audio included a report from the first officer of icing conditions and severe turbulence above 700 feet before a Mayday call was made.

The aircraft was a Bombardier Learjet 60, registration N722BD, registered to LR60271 LLC of Wilmington, Delaware, and operated by charter company Aurora Aviation, per Simple Flying. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW305A engines. Those on board were two crew and seven passengers. The captain was Jeff Gregory and the first officer was Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, aged 20. Passengers included Austin-based technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson and members of his family, along with family friends and a nanny.

Next steps in the investigation

With the wreckage documented and components collected, the NTSB will move to laboratory work. Simple Flying says this includes analysing the voice recorder audio, mapping the flight track against the severe storm cell for a radar and meteorological reconstruction, and examining the tail assembly and other parts to establish the sequence of structural failure. A preliminary report is expected within the next few weeks, while a probable cause may take up to two years.

What this means for travellers

No safety recommendations, directives or operating restrictions for the Learjet 60 have been reported. The structural failure indicated by the debris is not yet explained, and investigators have not said what caused it or whether the weather played a part. Passengers on charter or private flights in this type have no new guidance for now; the preliminary report should clarify what is known. Simple Flying’s account relies on a single source, and details may change as the NTSB publishes its findings.

Sources: Simple Flying.