Learjet tail part found miles from deadly Florida plane crash

Investigators have discovered parts of the tail assembly of a Learjet that crashed in Florida, located several miles away from the impact site. The tragic incident occurred on Sunday, with the plane breaking up mid-air before striking the ground in Greenacres, approximately 11 kilometres southwest of West Palm Beach. A preliminary report is expected to take around a month, but the investigation into the cause of the crash could extend beyond a year.

The National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman revealed that the elevator - responsible for controlling the plane's pitch up and down - was severely damaged, broken into three separate pieces. This structural failure rendered the pilot unable to recover from the nosedive, a crucial piece of evidence for investigators.

The last radio transmission from co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras just before the crash indicated she was battling severe turbulence and ice accumulation on the aircraft, which caused the plane to oscillate more than 210 metres. The pilot could be heard shouting "we're going to die!" before the jet erupted into flames upon impact.

Captain Jeff Gregory, 55, was one of the two crew members aboard the Bahamas-bound Learjet 60. A close friend of Gregory, who operates Upper Jets, has raised over 50% of the $16,000 fundraising target for the pilot's family. Gregory, an experienced pilot and devoted father, was described by friends as a Christian and a pilot deeply committed to his profession.

The crash resulted in the deaths of technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two young children. About 600 nearby residents were displaced by the disaster, though only one person was injured on the ground. Images from the crash site appear to show the missing elevator from the tail assembly.