NTSB begins debris search after Florida jet crash

National Transportation Safety Board investigators are currently digging through the rain-soaked dirt of a Florida field to reconstruct the final moments of a business jet that fell from the sky. The agency is leading the effort to determine why the aircraft, bound for the Bahamas, struck the ground with enough force to create a crater and shatter the fuselage.

All nine people aboard the Learjet died in the crash. The NTSB expects the full investigation to take more than a year. For now, the team is focused on gathering physical evidence. On Tuesday, officials confirmed that fragments of the tail elevator, a part that controls the plane's pitch, were found more than a mile from the main impact site. This distance proves the airframe began to disintegrate before it hit the ground.

A major priority for the team is locating the cockpit voice recorder. NTSB member Tom Chapman said the device could reveal what the pilots said to each other as they fought the weather. He noted that the recorder would be very important data. However, he added that the agency's investigators are skilled enough to determine how things transpired even without the device.

The pilots communicated with air traffic controllers shortly before the crash. The co-pilot reported that the plane was being thrown up and down by more than 700 feet. She requested a different route through the area. It remains unclear why the crew did not steer around the storms entirely.

Weather has complicated the ground search. Torrential rains in Florida over the past week have filled the crash crater with water, potentially hiding wreckage. Investigators had to remove a utility pole near the site to continue their work. The agency has asked the public to report any plane parts they find so the team can collect them.

The NTSB plans to release a preliminary report describing the facts of the incident about 30 days after the crash. That document will not include an analysis of cause. Those details will appear in a later, more detailed report. Much of the plane was destroyed by the impact and the subsequent fire. Surviving pieces are being moved to a secure hangar for testing and reassembly.

John Cox, a retired airline pilot and aviation safety expert, questioned the crew's descent. The plane was cruising at 41,000 feet when it approached the storms. Cox said he would prefer to stay at that altitude to see over the weather. He said he does not understand why the pilots descended to 35,000 feet.

Investigators will examine whether the pilots knew about the specific storm cell they flew into. They will review the plane's weather radar data and check if the crew consulted other weather services. Bystander videos and surveillance footage will also be analyzed to see the flight path.

The agency will review maintenance records for the aircraft and interview staff from Upper Jets, the operator of the flight. They will also speak with air traffic controllers and airport workers in Austin, Texas, the plane's departure point. The NTSB may hold investigative hearings to question witnesses, a process it used after a UPS plane crash last year.

The NTSB has about 400 workers handling more than 1,200 active investigations. Final reports typically take 12 to 18 months, though complex cases can take longer. The agency will recommend changes to prevent similar crashes, but it cannot force those changes. The Federal Aviation Administration, the industry, and Congress are responsible for adopting new rules, a process that can take years.