More details are emerging in the investigation of the fatal crash of a Bombardier Learjet 60 on Sunday in Palm Beach County, Florida. During the final onsite media briefing yesterday, NTSB member Thomas Chapman confirmed that the twinjet’s left elevator had separated from the aircraft before impact; the component was found broken into three pieces scattered miles from the main crash site.
It is still unclear at which point in the accident timeline the tail-mounted control surface detached. Investigators will attempt to determine whether the loss of the elevator caused the loss of control that led to the accident, or whether it was torn off when the twinjet went into an overspeed condition—per radio calls by copilot Nathalia Filgueiras—as its descent rate exceeded 30,000 fpm.
Given the storms in the area at the time of the accident, Chapman added, “Weather is certainly a key focus of the investigation.”
Due to the heavy rain in the area since the accident, the investigation team has not been able to thoroughly examine the water-filled impact crater, but Chapman noted that water removal will begin today, allowing initial access to the main crash site.
Further review of the accident flight crew’s qualifications via the FAA Airman database shows that pilot Jeffrey Gregory held an airline transport pilot certificate with an unrestricted Learjet 60 type rating. Meanwhile, Filgueiras held an FAA commercial pilot certificate with a restricted pilot-in-command (PIC) Learjet 60 type rating, meaning she needed to be paired with a fully type-rated PIC such as Gregory. Both crewmembers were also certified flight instructors.
In this article
More In Accidents
