Federal investigators discovered critical pieces of a Learjet’s left elevator up to 3.8 miles from the Florida crash site where all nine people aboard died Sunday, confirming the aircraft was breaking apart before it slammed into the ground near West Palm Beach.
Critical Component Lost Mid-Flight
National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman revealed Tuesday that most of the left elevator, the tail component controlling the plane’s pitch, was recovered in three pieces scattered between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from Greenacres. Without this elevator intact, the pilot had no ability to pull the Learjet out of its deadly nosedive, Chapman explained at a news conference. The pieces likely broke off as a result of extreme forces during the descent rather than causing the initial loss of control.
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti told reporters the proximity of the debris to the crash site indicates the elevator components separated closer to the ground. If the parts had detached at higher altitude, they would have been found much farther from the impact zone. The Learjet 60 departed Austin, Texas, and was bound for the Bahamas when disaster struck Sunday afternoon.
Ice and Turbulence Preceded Disaster
Co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueira texted her boyfriend approximately 10 minutes before impact, reporting turbulence and ice accumulation on the aircraft. In her final radio transmissions to air traffic control, Filgueira shifted from calm communications to terrifying updates as the plane plummeted. She reported ice building on the plane and extreme turbulence throwing the aircraft up and down more than 700 feet. A man’s voice, believed to be Captain Jeff Gregory, 55, was heard reciting the Lord’s Prayer in the background during those final moments.
Gregory, a longtime aviator from the Philadelphia suburbs and devoted Christian, left behind a wife and children. Thomas Noetzel, director of operations at Upper Jets, which operated the flight, organized an online fundraiser for Gregory’s family, calling him a close personal friend who was deeply faithful and passionate about flying.
Massive Impact Creates Crater
The Learjet struck the ground with sufficient force to create a crater before erupting in flames. Approximately 600 nearby residents remain displaced from their homes, though only one person on the ground suffered injuries. After days of heavy rain delayed recovery efforts, investigators planned to access the crater Wednesday to retrieve critical aircraft components. The crash also claimed the life of nanny Mayerly Cetina, whom the passenger families described as caring for their children with tenderness and devotion. The Colombian government confirmed it was providing assistance to Cetina’s family during this difficult time.