‘Very important’ Learjet piece found miles from crash site in Florida

Key Points:

• Investigators found a major piece of the Learjet's left elevator nearly 4 miles from the Florida crash site, indicating the plane was breaking apart before impact, though it remains unclear if this caused the loss of control or resulted from the nosedive.
• The Learjet 60, traveling from Austin to the Bahamas, crashed Sunday afternoon, killing all nine aboard, including technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his family, their nanny Ana María Ramírez Cetina, and the experienced pilot Jeff Gregory.
• The co-pilot reported severe turbulence and ice accumulation shortly before the crash, with final transmissions indicating a rapid descent and imminent impact, highlighting weather as a key focus of the ongoing investigation.
• The crash created a large crater and displaced about 600 nearby residents, with only one person on the ground injured; investigators continue to collect evidence and expect to access the crater soon despite recent heavy rains.
• A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report is expected in about a month, but determining the crash's probable cause will likely take over a year.