The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the Learjet 60 that crashed near Greenacres, Florida, on November 1, killing all nine people on board. The device was found at the initial impact site and has been transported to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, D.C., for evaluation. The agency announced the recovery on X, formerly Twitter.
The Learjet plummeted tens of thousands of feet and nose-dived into the ground shortly after departing from Austin, Texas, en route to the Bahamas. The crash created a large impact crater and scattered debris across the area, with some pieces landing on nearby homes. The NTSB confirmed the excavation work at the impact site is complete.
Among the victims were Adam and Helen Sharp Robinson and their two young children, Emma and Charlie, as well as their nanny Anita Maria Cetina. Two family friends, Rowan Fehr Toews and Rachel Reed, and the pilots, Jeffrey Gregory and Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, also died in the incident.
Investigators previously recovered a portion of one of the jet's engines and three pieces of the aircraft's left elevator, which controls up-and-down movement. The NTSB had urged locals to report any debris found and refrain from moving or altering it, as even small pieces can contain crucial evidence.
Distressing audio transmissions revealed the pilots reported encountering severe turbulence and accumulating ice on the wings. Co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras can be heard telling air traffic controllers about the rapidly deteriorating situation, including descending at extreme rates and an overspeed condition, before stating, "We're going to crash into the ground!" Pilot Jeffrey Gregory could be heard reciting the Lord's Prayer in the background during the final moments.
The NTSB expects to release a preliminary report next month, but a full investigation into the cause of the crash could take over a year. The agency's mission includes not only determining what happened but also why, in order to recommend changes to prevent future tragedies.