Private Jet Crash Kills Nine as NTSB Probes Wreckage

A private Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, around 12:50 p.m. ET on Nov. 1, killing all nine people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation alongside the Federal Aviation Administration, but investigators don’t yet know what caused the crash. One report said a person on the ground suffered a leg injury; another said nobody on the ground was hurt.

The people aboard

The victims were Texas tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 44; his wife, Helen Sharp; their children Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2; friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr; nanny Anita Maria Apellido Cetina; pilot Jeff Gregory, 55; and co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20. Robinson’s brother confirmed the family’s identities, while their grandfather, Dudley Sharp, 70, also confirmed the children’s deaths.

A family statement called Emma and Charlie “the light of their lives” and said Adam and Helen “were devoted parents.” Robinson’s brother wrote on social media, “Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever.” The statement described friends Charmi and Rachael as “full of joy and adventure,” adding that they “loved their people fiercely, fully and without hesitation.”

The same statement said Anita Maria “cared for Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion, and she was truly part of the family.” It added: “She showed us a legacy of unconditional love and devotion.” Those words put names and relationships against the stark count of nine lives lost.

Robinson, based in Austin, founded and led software companies Retention.com and RB2B, and previously worked at Lehman Brothers and Barclays Capital, according to his LinkedIn profile. Helen Sharp was a ceramics artist who posted videos of her work and pictures of the children on Instagram.

A flight under investigation

The jet left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. Investigators said it flew in temperatures of minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit, encountered ice and heavy turbulence, then began breaking apart before impact. Debris scattered across a half-mile radius, and water partly filled the crater near a trailer park, hampering the investigation.

The plane climbed to about 37,000 feet to avoid foul weather before plunging toward the ground. One report said it descended at around 32,000 feet per minute. AccuWeather said heavy rainfall and thunderstorms were occurring in the area. The National Weather Service reported wind gusts of up to 25 mph and visibility of 7 miles.

LiveATC, which broadcasts air traffic control communications, posted audio capturing a cockpit voice saying the crew was “managing the ice,” experiencing “moderate” turbulence and seeking “better rides.” NTSB investigator Timothy Monville said, “We do have some indication the aircraft was breaking up before impact.” NTSB spokesperson Thomas B. Chapman also said the agency had an indication the aircraft was breaking up before impact.

What investigators don’t yet know

Filgueiras’ mother, Camila Corteleti, identified her daughter as a pilot who had logged more than 1,300 hours of flight time, earned her pilot’s license at 17 and worked for nine months at Upper Jets, a private charter firm based in Fort Lauderdale. USA TODAY reviewed records showing Filgueiras lived in Boca Raton. Jeff Gregory was identified as pilot in command and described as an experienced pilot from Pennsylvania.

The New York Post reported that Gregory was heard reciting the Lord’s Prayer in an air traffic control transmission during the final seconds before impact, while Filgueiras was heard screaming and pleading for help in the final radio traffic. She reportedly texted her boyfriend about icing and turbulence shortly before the crash. Aviation attorney Zachary S. Gorwitz of Podhurst Orseck said the co-pilot’s presence on the radio “suggests the pilot was at the controls.”

Investigators haven’t determined whether Filgueiras controlled the aircraft, whether ice accumulation played a role, or whether the aircraft had a cockpit voice recorder that survived and recorded the crash. The official inquiry continues as investigators sort through wreckage and conflicting details; no cause has been established.