Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Monday, Nov. 9, that they have recovered the cockpit voice recorder from the Learjet 60 that crashed Nov. 1 near Greenacres in Palm Beach County, Florida. All nine people aboard were killed.
According to the NTSB, the recorder (CVR) was found at the site of the plane’s first impact, near South Military Trail. The device is being evaluated in Washington. Photos released by the agency show an orange casing in fairly good condition. Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti told The Associated Press that the information on the recording medium may have survived.
The plane took off from Austin-Bergstrom airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Over South Florida, it ran into dangerous weather. There were two pilots and seven passengers aboard; no one survived.
Investigators also recovered pieces of the tail section, including parts of the left elevator. They were found between 1.3 and 3.8 miles (2.1 to 6.1 km) from the main crash site. The NTSB also confirmed that excavation work at the first impact site has been completed.
The cockpit recording may help determine, among other things, why the Learjet first avoided a large storm cell and then flew into a smaller, rapidly developing one. Witnesses captured video of the plane falling almost vertically. Communications with air traffic control were also recorded.
Investigators will also examine the aircraft’s maintenance records and any earlier malfunctions. The investigation is ongoing, and the cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Source: Local 10
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