Investigators say crashed jet may have broken apart

Federal investigators said Monday there is some evidence that the business jet that crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday had started to break apart before it hit the ground. All nine people on board were killed.

At a first briefing, National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said the investigation was at a very early stage and the agency would not speculate about the cause. He said weather is a major focus. The crew had radioed that they were seeing light ice and moderate turbulence. Shortly after, at about 35,000 feet, they reported picking up precipitation and asked to climb. Less than 30 seconds later, a pilot made a mayday call and said the plane was descending 20,000 feet per minute.

The Learjet 60 was flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas. It came down near a busy intersection in Greenacres, leaving a crater in the road and small pieces of wreckage spread across ball fields, businesses and homes. Investigators said one man driving nearby suffered a leg injury.

In a joint statement, families said the passengers included an Austin tech entrepreneur, his wife, their two young children, the family's nanny and two friends. The pilots were also identified in media reports.

The NTSB asked witnesses with video to contact the agency and urged people not to move any debris. This is a developing story.