NTSB Recovers Parts of Crashed Learjet’s Elevator

Agency says recovered components are evidence that ‘at least some’ pieces of the aircraft separated before it impacted the ground.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, November 03, 2026 at 04:54 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

NTSB member Tom Chapman holds a news briefing on Tuesday to provide an update on the agency's investigation of Sunday's fatal Learjet crash. [Credit: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

NTSB investigators found pieces of the Learjet 60's left elevator miles from the crash site, indicating structural separation occurred before the aircraft impacted the ground.
The flight encountered significant severe weather, including moderate to extreme precipitation and clear icing, which is a primary focus of the ongoing investigation.
Investigators face challenges in recovering critical components, such as the cockpit voice recorder, due to the highly fragmented wreckage and a water-filled impact crater.

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The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that investigators recovered the “majority” of the left elevator of the Learjet 60 that fatally crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida. NTSB member Tom Chapman believes the recovered components are evidence that “at least some” parts of the aircraft separated before it impacted the ground.

Chapman said the elevator was located in three pieces between 1.3 and 3.8 miles away from the airplane’s impact site, indicating that it is “implausible that it would have been a result of the impact. It would have separated before the impact.”