New video shows investigators painstakingly retrieving pieces of a Learjet from the enormous crater left behind when the aircraft crashed onto a roadway in Florida on Sunday, killing all nine people aboard.
NTSB confirmed they found a portion of one engine, and debris has been found away from the impact location and on the roofs of homes and buildings near the crash site.
Sister station WPBF’s investigative team went onto the roof of a nearby triplex where a long, twisted piece of metal believed to be from the doomed jet slammed into the shingles. The suspected wreckage left a hole in the roof, and part of a neighbor’s kitchen ceiling later collapsed.
The National Transportation Safety Board has not publicly confirmed whether that particular piece came from the Learjet.
Anthony Blackmon, who lives in the triplex, said he witnessed the plane’s final moments and heard the deafening explosion.
“It was really, really loud,” Blackmon said.
He said he looked outside after hearing a buzzing noise and saw the aircraft plunging toward the ground.
“I just looked out my window because I heard a buzzing sound. I just want to see what’s going on. And then that’s when I seen the actual plane coming down and fall, and the explosion was huge,” Blackmon said.
He described flames shooting an estimated 100 to 150 feet into the air.
“It was pretty crazy. Really shook the whole house. Debris fell everywhere,” he said.
The following day, after part of his neighbor’s kitchen ceiling collapsed, Blackmon climbed onto the roof to investigate.
There, he discovered a twisted piece of metal with screws, approximately a foot long, that he believes came from the aircraft.
“It was like a metal piece with screws. And it was like, pretty like this length,” Blackmon said, gesturing to show its size.
Blackmon said sheriff’s deputies subsequently recovered the metal from the roof.
New video obtained by WPBF shows NTSB investigators working inside the crash crater after water was pumped out, carefully collecting small fragments of the aircraft.
The Learjet was destroyed when it slammed into the roadway Sunday afternoon.
Investigators are examining the recovered wreckage for evidence that could help explain what caused the jet to crash.
The NTSB previously confirmed that significant pieces of the aircraft’s left elevator, a control surface on the tail, separated before impact and were recovered as far as 3.8 miles from the crash site.
Investigators have not determined whether those pieces broke away because the aircraft was already out of control or whether their separation contributed to the loss of control.
Blackmon said the violent crash affected more than just the roadway where the aircraft struck.
“My window was hit by a couple of debris. My neighbors are affected. Everybody’s affected in this area,” he said.
He described the aftermath as shocking, with residents still trying to process what happened so close to their homes.
“It’s a really tragic moment for everybody. May they rest in peace,” Blackmon said.
Military Trail remains closed between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue, with access limited to residents.
If you have found or collected any debris from the Learjet 60 crash, please do not keep it or attempt to move, alter or dispose of it. Even small pieces of the wreckage may contain important evidence that could help investigators determine what happened. We ask that you contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov to arrange its recovery. Please include a photo of the debris, if possible, in your email. Recovering all available wreckage is critical to the investigation and helping to determine the cause of the crash.
