NTSB recovers cockpit voice recorder from Florida Learjet crash
The device was located at the crash site where nine people died in November, and it is currently being evaluated in Washington.
By Matthew Brooks ·
The National Transportation Safety Board announced on Monday that investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder from a business jet that crashed in Florida last week. The aircraft, a Learjet, plummeted from the sky during severe weather and slammed into the ground on Nov. 1, killing all nine people on board.
The recorder was found at the site of the impact, where the plane erupted in a fireball. The NTSB stated in a social media post that the device is now being evaluated at a laboratory in Washington. While it was not immediately known if the unit was damaged or operational, the agency posted photos showing an orange-painted metal shell that appeared to be in decent shape.
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti told The Associated Press that it is very plausible the information on the recorder survived. He noted that if the device is from the accident flight, it will be a huge help to investigators. He compared the situation to a January 2025 crash of a medical transport plane in Philadelphia that killed seven people, where the recovered recorder likely had not been functioning for several years.
Data from the device could reveal details about pilot communications during the flight, including moments when they encountered turbulence and ice formed on the wings. The Learjet had been heading to the Bahamas when it lost control. Witnesses captured video of the jet plunging nose-first, and air traffic control transmissions recorded the pilots realizing their fate.
The voice recorder may clarify why the aircraft steered around a large storm cell only to head directly into a rapidly developing smaller one. Investigators previously confirmed that pieces of the tail elevator, which controls the plane's pitch, were found more than a mile away from the main crater. This placement confirms the plane started to break apart before impact.
The co-pilot told air traffic controllers that the plane was being thrown up and down more than 700 feet. She asked them for a better route through the area. The NTSB has roughly 400 workers pursuing more than 1,200 active investigations. It generally takes 12 to 18 months to complete a crash investigation, though complicated cases can take longer.
Investigators will review maintenance records and any history of problems with the plane. They will also interview officials at Upper Jets, the company that operated the flight. Additionally, they plan to speak with air traffic controllers and staff from the airport in Austin, Texas, where the plane departed.
