The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
NTSB finds portion of one engine in Learjet crash site as more debris discovered on roofs of homes and buildings
WPBF 25 News Investigates goes onto the roof where suspected Learjet wreckage landed, damaging a West Palm Beach triplex. Meanwhile, new video shows NTSB investigators recovering pieces of the plane from the crash crater.
Investigators from the NTSB are documenting wreckage from the Learjet crash on Military Trail, with new video showing researchers carefully collecting small fragments from the crater created by the impact.
A portion of one engine has been located, and additional debris has been found away from the initial impact area, including on the roofs of neighboring homes and buildings near the crash site.
Witnesses describe the immediate aftermath, including a loud explosion and flames shooting high into the air. One nearby resident observed the aircraft's descent and the ensuing debris field as the plane went down.
WPBF 25 News reporters documented a piece of twisted metal with screws on the roof of a nearby triplex, and authorities recovered the metal from the roof after part of a kitchen ceiling reportedly collapsed in a neighboring unit.
The NTSB notes that significant pieces of the aircraft’s left elevator were recovered as far as 3.8 miles from the crash site, but investigators have not confirmed whether their separation was caused by loss of control or contributed to it.
Emergency responders and investigators continue to collect wreckage within the crater area, and officials are urging anyone who finds debris to preserve it and contact the NTSB for recovery so evidence can be analyzed as part of the investigation.