Florida crash: Black box containing voice recorder from doomed Learjet recovered

Cockpit voice recorder from the doomed Learjet 60 that crashed in Florida last Sunday (Nov 1) has been recovered after days of effort. The National Transportation Safety Board shared photos showing the orange case with the so-called black box. The crash killed all nine people on board after plunging next to a highway in Florida. It carved a huge crater that filled with water amid heavy rain, complicating recovery efforts. Now, a week later, officials have finally found the voice recorder, which is expected to shed more light on the circumstances around the crash.

"It's more information, and more information is always good in an investigation," said John Gagliano, a former Navy pilot and licensed aviation lawyer.

Soon after the crash, audio from the cockpit was released, in which co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras can be heard giving updates as the plane began to malfunction. She tells air traffic control, “Holy f***, we're out of time," adding that the plane was going down.

Also Read: 'I’ve got ice': 20-year-old co-pilot's last text to her boyfriend minutes before Florida crash

Mayday call

"We’re descending 8,000 – mayday, mayday – we’re descending 10,000ft per minute," Nathalia can be heard saying in the audio. The plane then accelerated to 22,000 feet per minute before the fatal crash. The captain, Jeff Gregory, can be heard reciting a prayer. "Who are in heaven, hallowed be the name."

Also Read: Florida crash: Learjet debris tore through roof of home, landed in kitchen, more found at a man's workplace

The Learjet 60 was flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas. The crash was caught on camera and shows the plane diving and exploding. The weather conditions were bad at the time, with heavy rainfall and thunderstorms reported. NTSB board member Tom Chapman said, “The weather conditions are a major focus of the investigation.”

Also Read: Florida crash: Learjet may have broken up before fatal dive, pilot heard praying in audio

Plane pieces found inside a woman's home

NTSB also found fragments from the plane scattered over several kilometres. One of the pieces tore through the roof of a woman's home and crashed onto the kitchen floor of a woman named Ana Escobar. Another person said he found a piece in his workplace located nearly six kilometres from the site. NTSB had earlier said that the plane may have broken up midair before crashing. After the debris was found in far-off places, it was said this was a clear sign that the plane had started breaking up. It is not known whether the pressure from the extreme weather led to it coming apart or if it was already breaking up and that contributed to the crash.