The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
NTSB Recovers Learjet Cockpit Voice Recorder
Investigators have completed excavation of the accident site and recovered additional aircraft components for examination.
The National Transportation Safety Board has recovered the cockpit voice recorder from the Learjet 60 that crashed near Greenacres, Florida, on Nov. 1, killing nine people. According to a Monday update, the recorder was located at the initial impact site and has been sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, D.C., for evaluation.
Recorder Recovery
The discovery follows earlier uncertainty over whether the Learjet still carried a cockpit voice recorder. Investigators previously said maintenance records indicated one had been installed, although they could not confirm whether it remained aboard. The NTSB has not yet indicated whether usable audio has been recovered.
In a separate update Sunday, the agency confirmed that investigators had identified additional wreckage, including components from both wings, both engines, the flight deck, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, aileron sections and multiple flap track assemblies. Some of the recovered components have been sent to NTSB laboratories for further examination.
Excavation Completed
βThe excavation work at the impact site has been completed,β the NTSB said in its Monday update.
Investigators had previously completed examinations of surrounding properties, including nearby businesses, a residential community and John I. Leonard High School.
The agency continues to ask residents who discover aircraft debris to leave it undisturbed and contact investigators to arrange recovery. The Learjet was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it went down. Investigators have not determined what caused the accident, which remains under investigation.