A recovered cockpit recorder may help the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reconstruct the final minutes of a Florida Learjet crash that killed nine people, if its data can be retrieved.
The NTSB announced the recovery Monday, saying investigators located the device near the wreckage of the jet, which was bound for the Bahamas when it crashed Nov. 1. The agency said the recorder is undergoing examination in Washington. It was not immediately known whether it had been damaged or worked before the crash.
A successful data recovery might give investigators a record of cockpit conversations as the plane encountered rough air and icing before losing control. A previous crash shows that recovering a recorder does not guarantee it contains usable data: the Associated Press reported that a device recovered after a January 2025 medical transport crash in Philadelphia likely had not worked for several years. That crash killed seven people.
Investigators also found elevator fragments more than a mile from the main crater. The NTSB said their location confirms the aircraft started breaking apart before it struck the ground, adding to earlier EconoTimes reporting on tail fragments found near the crash site.
The Associated Press said NTSB investigations often take 12 to 18 months, with complex cases sometimes requiring more time. It reported that investigators plan to review the aircraft’s maintenance records and history of problems, and speak with the flight operator, air traffic controllers and airport workers in Austin, Texas, where the jet departed.
