NTSB Recovers Voice Recorder From Florida Jet Crash That Killed 9

3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Nov 10

The cockpit voice recorder has been recovered from the Nov. 1 Learjet crash site in Florida, where a Bahamas-bound business jet went down in severe weather and killed all nine aboard.
The device is being evaluated at an NTSB lab in Washington; if usable, it could reveal what the pilots said as the aircraft hit turbulence, picked up ice and lost control.
Investigators are focusing on why the jet skirted a large storm cell but then flew into a rapidly developing smaller one, after the co-pilot reported the plane was being thrown more than 700 feet up and down.
Pieces of the elevator were found more than a mile from the main crater, indicating the aircraft began breaking apart before impact, while investigators also review maintenance records and interview the operator and controllers.
A full NTSB report typically takes 12 to 18 months, and the agency said complicated cases can take longer.