Learjet Crash in Greenacres: Cockpit Voice Recorder Recovered
GREENACRES, Fla. — The cockpit voice recorder from the Learjet 60 that crashed near Greenacres on November 1 has been recovered. The recorder was located at the initial impact site and is currently being evaluated at the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, D.C. Excavation at the site has been completed, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Authorities have confirmed that they cleared several nearby locations, including the Green Acres Mobile Home Community, Reading Truck, Silver Oaks Plaza, Value Store It Self Storage, and John I. Leonard High School. Investigators have also recovered significant parts of the aircraft, including both wings, engines, flight deck, stabilizers, and sections of the ailerons and flap track assemblies. Some of these parts have been sent to NTSB laboratories for further analysis.
The Learjet departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, en route to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Tragically, nine individuals were lost in the crash, including Nathalia Filgueiras, age 20, a recent graduate and licensed pilot. The other victims include pilot Jeffrey Gregory, 55; family friends Rowan “Charmi” Fehr Toews and Rachel Reed, both 38; Ana Maria Ramirez Cetina, 24; parents Adam and Helen Robinson, age 45 and 40 respectively; and their young children, Charles, 2, and Emma, 4.
Before the crash, the crew reported experiencing light clear ice and moderate turbulence at an altitude of 35,000 feet. Shortly after being granted permission to climb, they issued a mayday call indicating the plane was descending in an overspeed condition.
The NTSB urges anyone who finds or has collected debris from the crash site not to move or alter it. Individuals can contact the agency via email at witness@ntsb.gov to arrange recovery. Recovering all wreckage is vital to the ongoing investigation.