GREENACRES, Fla. — Federal investigators say debris from Sunday’s Learjet crash near Greenacres may lie far from the site, and they want anyone who finds a piece to leave it alone. All nine people on board died when the jet went down in Palm Beach County on Nov. 1.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday there is some evidence the jet began breaking up before impact. “We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact,” NTSB board member Tom Chapman said at a briefing.
Chapman said parts may turn up some distance from the impact site. He asked people who find one not to touch it. “Please do not move it,” he said. “Contact us or local authorities, and we will respond appropriately.”
What investigators have said so far
The Learjet 60 was operated by Aurora Aviation, doing business as Upper Jet, according to the NTSB’s investigation page. It left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas about 10:37 a.m. Sunday. It was headed to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas with two crew members and seven passengers.
About 12:47 p.m., at about 35,000 feet, the crew reported light clear ice and moderate turbulence, the NTSB said. The crew said the ice was manageable. The outside air temperature was about minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The crew then reported picking up precipitation and asked to climb to 37,000 feet. The request was approved. Less than 30 seconds later, the crew made a mayday call and said the jet was descending rapidly.
The jet crashed about 12:50 p.m. Investigators have not yet identified the debris they’ve recovered. They also haven’t determined whether any parts, including part of the tail, separated before impact.
Chapman said the NTSB will look at the weather, the crew’s actions and the aircraft, as it does in every investigation. He said the weather at the plane’s altitude still needs to be determined. The NTSB does not find probable cause at the scene, and Chapman said the agency would not speculate about the cause.
Maintenance records show a cockpit voice recorder was installed. But investigators don’t yet know if it was still on the jet or if it can be recovered.
Learjet crash debris spread across a neighborhood
The crash site is near South Military Trail, about 7 miles southwest of West Palm Beach. The debris field covers about half a mile by four-tenths of a mile, said investigator in charge Timothy Monville.
Monville said the pieces are fairly small. They landed on ball fields, businesses and homes, and some may be found farther away. Florida state Rep. Debra Tendrich said debris is spread across the community, stretching roughly two miles. “Some of those pieces are very sharp,” she told WPTV.
The debris is also evidence. The NTSB asks anyone who finds a piece to leave it in place and call the agency or local authorities. Witnesses with information, photos or video can email witness@ntsb.gov.
The jet left a crater in the roadway, and water in it is making it hard to reach the wreckage. Rain is slowing the work. Crews must drain the crater and check the street’s structure before officials decide when the area can reopen.
Residents of about 77 mobile homes have been displaced. Officials put the number at 400 to 600 people, and some are staying at the Greenacres Community Center.
“You know, it could be up to two weeks. We don’t really know,” Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores told WPTV. One person on the ground was hurt. A man leaving the area in a vehicle suffered a leg injury.
The nine people on board
Authorities had not released names as of Monday. In a joint statement posted Monday by Anthony Robinson, the families said Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr and Anita Maria Cetina were among those lost.
Adam Robinson, of Austin, founded several tech companies. Cetina was the family’s nanny. “Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were the light of their lives,” the statement said.
The co-pilot was identified by her family as Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, of Boca Raton. The pilot was identified as Jeff Gregory by a spokesperson for East Coast Jets, a private charter company he used to work for.
About 20 NTSB investigators are at the scene, and the agency expects several days of work there. The Federal Aviation Administration and Learjet are parties to the investigation.
The NTSB usually issues a preliminary report within about 30 days. Final reports typically take 12 to 24 months. Officials have made similar pleas elsewhere, including a warning from Eglin Air Force Base not to touch test-drone debris pulled from the Gulf.
Subscribe to FODNews for continuing coverage of FOD incidents and prevention worldwide.
Sources
- National Transportation Safety Board — “ERA27MA026” (Nov. 2026)
- CBS12 — “NTSB: Learjet crew reported ice, turbulence before deadly Greenacres crash” (Nov. 2, 2026)
- UPI — “Texas couple, children, others identified as passengers in jet crash” (Nov. 2, 2026)
- NBC 6 South Florida — “Evidence indicates parts of jet broke off before Florida crash that killed 9, NTSB says” (Nov. 2, 2026)
- WPTV — “Hundreds displaced by Learjet crash wait to return home” (Nov. 2, 2026)
