Crashed Florida Learjet's left elevator found miles away; NTSB sees 'no evidence' of a Mar-a-Lago connection

Although Sunday's Learjet crash in Florida, which killed nine people, happened less than 10 miles from President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, federal investigators say there is no evidence of any connection to Secret Service operations. National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said on Tuesday: 'There is no evidence of connection. Purely coincidence.'

Speaking at the NTSB's final onsite briefing on Tuesday, Chapman said most of the Learjet 60's left elevator was recovered between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site in Palm Beach County.

The discovery adds to evidence that the aircraft began breaking apart before impact. The elevator is a movable surface on the aircraft's tail that helps control whether its nose points up or down.

Chapman said, however, that he did not believe the component would have enabled the aircraft to recover even if it had remained attached, given the speed of the jet's descent.

The Learjet was carrying seven passengers and two crew members from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas when it crashed on Sunday, killing everyone aboard.

Investigators are now preparing to remove water from the impact crater, where they expect to recover additional aircraft components. Chapman said that, given the force of the crash, pieces buried there will likely be small.

Severe weather has hampered some recovery efforts, and weather remains a key focus of the investigation. The cause of the crash has not been determined.

Investigators have also obtained dashcam footage to help reconstruct the aircraft's final moments. Recovered wreckage is being retained for analysis, and officials urged anyone who encounters debris to leave it untouched and notify authorities.

The crew had reported light clear ice and moderate turbulence while flying at about 35,000 feet, before requesting permission to climb to 37,000 feet. Less than 30 seconds after controllers approved the request, the crew reported they were descending and issued a mayday call.

Roughly 600 residents near Military Trail and Cresthaven Boulevard were evacuated after the crash. Palm Beach County spokesperson John Jamason told The Palm Beach Post that between 40 and 50 people were staying at the Greenacres Community Center, and county officials were seeking state funding to help displaced residents with housing and transportation.

Officials said during Tuesday's briefing that Military Trail remained closed in both directions between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane. They did not provide a timeline for reopening the road or allowing displaced residents to return home.