Federal investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder from a Learjet 60 that crashed in a South Florida neighborhood on November 1, killing all nine people on board.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced Monday that the device was located at the initial impact site where the aircraft struck a busy roadway and erupted into a fireball, according to The Guardian. The recorder is being transported to a specialized laboratory in Washington, D.C., for evaluation.
Investigators evaluate cockpit recorder
The NTSB stated that the cockpit voice recorder was found at the location of the primary impact. The agency is currently evaluating the device at its Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, D.C., to determine if it is functional and if audio was successfully captured. It remains uncertain if the device was damaged or operational during the flight.
The NTSB has completed its on-scene investigative activities for the Nov. 1 crash of a Learjet 60 near Greenacres, Florida, with the exception of the excavation of the impact site, which remains ongoing. The cleared areas include Green Acres Mobile Home Community, Reading Truck,…
If data can be retrieved, it may provide essential information regarding the communications between the pilots as they dealt with icing and turbulence before losing control. Investigators noted that in a previous January 2025 crash of a medical transport plane in Philadelphia, a recovered recorder was found to have been non-functional for several years.
The investigation follows a timeline of deteriorating conditions reported by the crew. Before the plane plummeted, the aircraft was traveling east at 35,000 feet.
One pilot informed air traffic control in an unworried tone that ice was forming on the aircraft but was manageable, noting that turbulence was causing the plane to move up and down by approximately 700 feet. The crew then reported precipitation and requested to climb to 37,000 feet, which the controller approved.
Less than 30 seconds after that request, the situation changed. Around 12:48 p.m., the aircraft transmitted that it was in an overspeed condition and descending. A panicked pilot then radioed air traffic control, reporting altitude readings and the angle of the plane’s bank, stating, We're going to crash into the ground.
The aircraft ultimately crashed at approximately 11:51 a.m. Central time.
Investigators recover aircraft components from impact site
NTSB investigators have completed excavation work at the impact site. This work followed the drainage of water and the clearing of hazards by utility workers. During the excavation, investigators recovered a part of one engine. Other recovered components include pieces from both wings, the flight deck, and aileron sections.
Evidence suggests the aircraft began to break apart before hitting the ground. These pieces were found at distances ranging from 1.3 miles to 3.8 miles away from the initial impact site. Tom Chapman, leading a team of approximately 20 NTSB personnel in West Palm Beach, noted that finding all parts would be a “daunting” challenge due to the velocity of the impact.
He added that while on-site investigations are continuing, an immediate cause is unlikely to be announced soon and that some parts of the aircraft may be located a considerable distance from the impact site.
Victims of the Palm Beach crash
The victims have been identified by family members and media outlets as follows:
- Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, co-pilot
- Adam Robinson, 45, founder and CEO of Retention.com and RB2b
- Helen Sharp, 40, CEO and founding partner of Influential PR
- Emma Robinson, 4
- Charlie Robinson, 2
- Rachael Reed
- Charmi Fehr
- Anita Maria Cetina, the children’s nanny
The aircraft, a Learjet 60, was a Part 135 operation. The flight had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was en route to North Eleuthera airport in the Bahamas.
Nathalia Filgueiras was the daughter of Allan Filgueiras. She had earned her private pilot’s license at age 17 and graduated from high school in Boca Raton in 2024. Her father, who described her as his “soulmate,” stated he intends to continue flying to honor her legacy.
Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr were also passengers. The couple co-owned the Arca Boutique Hotel, a 16-room beachfront property in Roatán, Honduras. Reed, a former ICU nurse, had lived in Roatán since the COVID-19 pandemic, where she and Fehr had previously established a connection to the island.
Community and regional impact
The crash occurred in a residential area near a mobile home park. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the event as a cataclysmic plane crash
that appeared to resemble a missile falling. In response to the tragedy, the Catholic diocese of Palm Beach held an All Souls’ Day Mass on Monday for the nine deceased.
Local infrastructure was significantly affected. Military Trail remained closed between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane following the crash. The Florida Department of Transportation is tasked with repairing the road damage and filling the hole in the southbound lanes. One driver who was near the area at the time of the crash sustained a leg injury, but no other injuries to people on the ground were reported.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores noted that the event has tested the resiliency of the area. Community organizers have raised more than $50,000 to assist those affected. The United Way of Palm Beach County established a disaster relief fund to help residents impacted by the crash and recent widespread flooding.
NTSB investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the Learjet 60 that crashed on Nov. 1 near Greenacres, Florida. The CVR was located at the site of initial impact. The CVR is being evaluated in the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, D. C. The… pic.twitter.com/F6SO4SEhW6
Relief funds are also being made available through the county’s Economic and Housing Development Department. Flores indicated that the County Commission would meet to discuss providing relief to affected businesses.
Earlier coverage: Co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras Sent Final Text Before Fatal Florida Jet Crash