The Learjet 60 was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it nosedived onto the highway, triggering a massive explosion. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash, including whether ice accumulation, turbulence or human error contributed to the accident.
Among those killed were Texas tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp and their two children, aged four and two. A family statement described the couple's relationship and the impact they had on those around them.
"Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever. Their warmth, generosity and gift for making people feel welcome touched so many lives," the statement said.
Robinson was the founder and CEO of RB2B and Retention.com and also headed Moltsets. Before establishing his business ventures, he had worked with global financial services firm Lehman Brothers and banking group Barclays.
Sharp was an artist, according to media reports. Her father, Dudley Sharp, confirmed to The Palm Beach Post that his daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren were aboard the aircraft when it crashed.
Three other passengers, Rachel Reed, Charmi Fehr and Anita Maria Cetina, also lost their lives in the accident. Reed and Fehr were described in the family's statement as being "full of joy and adventure". Their exact relationship with Robinson and Sharp was not immediately clear.
Cetina had cared for the couple's children with tenderness and devotion and was considered part of the family, according to the statement.
The aircraft's pilot was identified as 55-year-old Jeff Gregory, according to a source familiar with the matter and a flight manifest obtained by CBS. East Coast Jets, a private charter company where Gregory reportedly worked earlier, confirmed his death and expressed condolences over the tragedy.
Air traffic control audio has captured the panicked final moments aboard the Learjet 60 as it descended towards the ground. At the 4:24 mark in the recording, the co-pilot appears to be heard reciting the Lord's Prayer: "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name".
The co-pilot was identified by US media as 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras, who earned her pilot's licence at the age of 17. Her mother, Camila Corteleti, confirmed her death and recalled her daughter's passion for flying.
"She loved the freedom. It was completely different seeing the world from the top," she told The New York Times.
In a 2023 interview with a local CBS News affiliate, Filgueiras had spoken about obtaining her pilot's licence while still in high school.
Another detail that has emerged is a message Filgueiras reportedly sent to her boyfriend, who is also a pilot, just 10 minutes before the aircraft crashed. According to reports, she wrote: "I've got turbulence, I've got ice."
Her stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, shared the message with the New York Post, saying it was sent at around 12.40 pm on November 1.
At approximately 12.50 pm, the Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County, killing Filgueiras and the eight other people aboard.
The reported message about turbulence and ice has brought additional attention to the possible conditions faced by the pilots before the aircraft went down. However, the cause of the crash has not yet been established. The NTSB is continuing its investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the Learjet 60 crashing onto the Florida highway and claiming nine lives.
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