Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder from the Learjet that crashed in Florida on Nov. 1, killing all nine people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board announced the find Monday and said the device has been sent to its lab in Washington for evaluation.
The Bahamas-bound business jet, operated by Upper Jets and departing from Austin, Texas, slammed into the ground and erupted in a fireball. Witnesses captured video of the aircraft plunging nose-first into the earth.
The recorder’s condition and whether it was functioning at all during the flight remain unknown. Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti told the Associated Press that photos of the device — showing its orange metal shell — suggest it may be intact. The NTSB’s recovery of a cockpit voice recorder from a Philadelphia medical transport crash in January 2025 serves as a cautionary comparison: that device turned out to have been non-functional for years before that accident.
If data can be extracted, it may help explain a central question in the investigation: why the Learjet appeared to route around a large storm cell but then flew directly into a rapidly developing smaller one. The co-pilot had already communicated the severity of the situation to air traffic controllers, reporting the aircraft was being thrown up and down more than 700 feet and requesting a better route through the area. ATC transmissions captured the crew’s final moments.
Structural breakup began before ground impact. The NTSB confirmed that pieces of the elevator — the tail component that controls pitch — were found more than a mile from the main crater. That finding indicates the aircraft was coming apart in flight.
Investigators will review maintenance records for the aircraft, examine any history of discrepancies, and interview Upper Jets personnel, air traffic controllers, and airport staff in Austin. The NTSB’s standard investigation timeline runs 12 to 18 months, with complex cases taking longer. The agency currently has roughly 400 staff working more than 1,200 active investigations.
Update (November 10, 2026 at 7:29 PM ET)
- The aircraft was a Learjet 60.
- The crash occurred near Greenacres, Florida.
- The crash site was on Military Trail.
- Excavation work at the impact site has been completed.
- Residents of the nearby mobile home park have been cleared to return home.
- Residents of the Greenacres Community Center who cannot return home due to damage have been provided temporary housing.
- Military Trail remains closed between 10th Avenue North and Cresthaven Boulevard.
- Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office wrapped up their investigation at the scene.
