NTSB recovers recorder from fatal Florida Learjet crash

The National Transportation Safety Board has recovered the cockpit voice recorder from the Learjet 60 that crashed near Greenacres, Florida, on November 1, killing all nine people aboard. The agency said the recorder was found at the site of the aircraft’s initial impact and is being evaluated at its Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, D.C.

The NTSB has not said whether the device is functional or whether it contains usable audio. Its recovery does not establish what caused the crash. Investigators are assessing whether it captured cockpit conversations that could help clarify the flight’s final moments.

The agency also said excavation work at the impact site has been completed. Investigators have sought wreckage and other evidence as part of a broader inquiry into the crash, which occurred in Palm Beach County while the aircraft was travelling from Texas to the Bahamas.

Before the crash, the crew reported icing, turbulence and precipitation to air traffic control, according to information described by investigators. The NTSB is examining weather, aircraft maintenance, cockpit decisions and air traffic control procedures. Those lines of inquiry do not establish a cause.