Crashed Jet Tail Found Miles From Florida Impact Site

Investigators recovered the left tail elevator of the Learjet 60 that crashed in Palm Beach County in three separate pieces. The components were found between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the main impact site. National Transportation Safety Board member Thomas B. Chapman described the part as a very important piece of evidence because it controls the plane's pitch.

The private jet departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Sunday at 10:37 a.m. It was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. The aircraft went down just before 1 p.m. local time. All nine people aboard were killed.

Chapman told reporters on Tuesday that the tail elevator likely separated from the plane before it hit the ground. The investigation will determine if losing the part caused the crash or if forces acting on the aircraft tore it loose. Former NTSB investigator Greg Feith suggested that the debris pattern points to an in-flight breakup. He said a pilot may have tried to level the jet at 8,000 feet, which over-stressed the structure and caused the parts to fail.

Weather conditions are a major focus of the probe. The crew reported icing and moderate turbulence at 35,000 feet shortly before the aircraft lost altitude. NTSB officials have not yet located the cockpit voice recorder. They cannot confirm if the device was on board when the plane went down.

The crash site is currently blocked off. Public utility crews are working to clear the area. Investigators hope to gain access to the crater by Wednesday.

The passengers included Adam Robinson, 45, an Austin tech entrepreneur, and his wife, Helen Sharp, 40. Their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were also aboard. The children's nanny, Anita Maria Cetina, and a couple, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, were among the other victims. Captain Jeff Gregory, 55, and co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, also died.