NTSB clears areas outside crash excavation site, finds plane parts

The National Transportation Safety Board said it has completed its investigation of areas outside the excavation site from the Learjet 60 crash near Greenacres on November 1, and has recovered and identified portions of the aircraft. The cleared zones include Cresthaven mobile home park, nearby businesses, and John I. Leonard High School, which has since reopened.

The NTSB indicated that investigators have recovered and identified components from both wings, both engines, the flight deck, vertical stabilizer, horizontal stabilizer, left elevator, and several flap track assemblies. Some of the debris has been sent to the NTSB laboratories in Washington, D.C. for closer inspection.

Access to the crash entrance on Military Trail remains restricted due to the crater, and evacuated residents have not yet been able to return. County officials noted that essential services, such as restoring power and water, must be completed before residents can return, with 68 residents still at the Greenacres Community Center.

An NTSB spokesperson urged the public not to move or discard any debris found at the crash site and requested contact via witness@ntsb.gov to arrange recovery, adding that photos should be included if possible. The agency emphasized that recovering all wreckage is critical to the investigation and to determining the cause of the crash.

Earlier reporting noted that a left elevator fragment was recovered in multiple pieces, found several miles from the site, and that debris distance helped establish that parts separated before impact. Investigators have also identified tail pieces discovered at a workplace about four miles away, with additional debris discoveries continuing to inform the investigation.