The horrifying accident in Palm Beach, Florida, where a plane crashed in a neighborhood, killing all nine on board. has left many in shock. Now, the pilot and co-pilot, as well as the passengers, have been identified as their families release statements.
The Learjet 60 private jet had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and headed for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when disaster struck.
Around 12.50. p.m. on Sunday, the plane suddenly lost altitude, nosedived, and crashed onto a highway, erupting into a giant fireball. The impact left a huge crater in the road, and debris scattered across the area.
The plane had made a sharp right turn before suddenly nosediving towards the ground. ABC News reported that, according to the FAA, the jet plunged from 35,250 feet to 8,750 feet in just over a minute – a staggering descent of roughly 350 feet per second – before crashing.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are now looking into whether ice, turbulence, or possible human error contributed to the deadly crash. During a news conference on Monday, the NTSB said the plane may have broken up before hitting the ground at high speed, Reuters reported.
“The weather conditions are a major focus of the investigation,” NTSB board member Tom Chapman said, per Reuters, adding that the massive crater caused by the crash has partially filled with water because of the severe storm.
“We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact,” he continued. “We may find parts ?of the aircraft some distance away from the actual impact site.”
Investigation into what happened when private plan crashed in Florida ongoing
Shortly after the accident, Mike Slack, an aviation attorney, licensed pilot, and former NASA aerospace engineer, analyzed the information available, including the audio between air traffic control and the pilot. He told CBS Austin that the weather may have played a big part in the accident.
“It is clear that the pilot was very concerned about their circumstance, was trying to get permission to climb the aircraft, was encountering weather that exceeded what she felt like the airplane was capable of sustaining,” Slack said.
“So I would say that the probabilities favor a weather-induced event. We will learn later how the aircraft ended up where it ended up to intersect with the weather,” he added.
As the investigation into the plane crash continues, details have emerged about the nine victims. A total of nine people, alongside the pilot and co-pilot, were killed.
Their families have now confirmed that the passengers were a husband and wife, their two children, their nanny and her partner, and two friends of the family.
Father, wife and two toddlers identified among Florida plane crash victims
According to a statement released by some of the victims’ families, Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp and their two young children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were among those killed.
Adam Robinson was a successful entrepreneur who described himself on LinkedIn as the founder and CEO of RB2B and Retention.com, as well as the CEO of Moltsets.
Before building his career in technology, he had worked for major financial institutions, including Lehman Brothers and Barclays. His death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from people who knew and worked with him.
Fellow tech entrepreneur Jesse Ouellette shared a heartfelt message on LinkedIn, saying Robinson helped him as he built his own company.
“He became a friend and someone I saw eye to eye with on how to build software companies,” Ouellette wrote. “He could disagree with you about almost anything, and somehow you’d walk away liking him even more.”
Friends and family’s nanny among victims
Tragically, Robinson’s final LinkedIn post was published on Sunday, the same day as the crash. It was about a debate he and Ouellette had planned to hold the following week.
The BBC said Helen Sharp was an artist. Speaking to The Palm Beach Post, her father, Dudley Sharp, described the devastating news that his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren had been aboard the plane.
“We had a daughter, her husband and two grandchildren on the plane,” he said, describing the news as “quite a blow”.
Also aboard were friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, as well as nanny Anita Maria Apellido Cetina.
In their joint statement, per CBS Austin, Reed and Fehr were remembered as two people who were “full of joy and adventure”.
“They loved their people fiercely, fully and without hesitation. From the moment they met, they were all in on each other and the life they were building,” the statement read.
Pilot and co-pilot in Florida plane crash identified
Cetina was described as an important part of the family. She had cared for the couple’s young children, Emma and Charlie, with great love and dedication.
The family statement paid tribute to the special bond she shared with them.
“She cared for Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion, and she was truly part of the family,” it read, per the NY Post. “She showed us a legacy of unconditional love and devotion.”
At the same time, the pilot has been identified as Jeff Gregory, 55.
Gregory’s passing at 55 was announced by East Coast Jets, a private charter company where Gregory used to work. In a statement, the company said his death deeply saddened it.
“We are deeply saddened to learn that Captain Jeff Gregory was among those who lost their lives in yesterday’s tragic aviation accident in Palm Beach,” the statement read, per NBC Miami. “Our prayers go out to Jeff’s family, his fellow crew member, the passengers, and everyone affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.”
Her family identified his co-pilot as 20-year-old Nathalia G. Filgueiras. She had earned her pilot’s license at just 17 and learned to fly from her father, who is also a pilot, NBC Miami reported.
Our thouhts and prayers go out to all those affected by this immense tragedy. May they rest in peace.