Nine people died Sunday when a private jet crashed into a South Florida neighborhood. Among those aboard were a 20-year-old aspiring airline pilot and a Texas couple traveling with their two young children.
The Learjet 60 took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at about 10:37 a.m., bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. It crashed in Palm Beach County shortly before 1 p.m.; everyone on board was killed.
Federal investigators said Monday that weather is a major focus of their inquiry. The crew reported icing and moderate turbulence at around 35,000 feet, shortly before the aircraft began losing altitude rapidly. The National Transportation Safety Board said early evidence also suggests the jet may have started breaking apart before it hit the ground. The cause has not been determined.
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, from Palm Beach County, was working toward a career as a commercial pilot. She earned her private pilot’s license at 17, before getting her driver’s license, trained at her high school’s aviation academy and later graduated from American Flyers flight school.
Also aboard were Austin technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, and their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2. Robinson was the chief executive and co-founder of Retention.com and led RB2B and Moltsets.
The families described Adam and Helen as warm and generous people who made others feel welcome. They said the couple’s relationship was a lasting love story, and that their children were the center of their lives.
In a statement, the companies said Robinson was not only their CEO but also a friend, mentor and outspoken leader who brought energy and conviction to his work. They said his death, along with the deaths of Helen and their children, had deeply affected colleagues and the wider technology community. The companies said their immediate priority was supporting employees and the family, and asked that the family’s privacy be respected.
Sharp was an entrepreneur, potter and owner of a public relations business. Her family said she and Adam were devoted parents, and that their loss would be felt by everyone who loved them.
Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr were also on the plane. Their families said the pair were building a life together filled with joy and adventure, and remembered them as people who loved their friends and family wholeheartedly.
Anita Maria Cetina, who cared for Emma and Charlie, was considered part of the Robinson-Sharp family. Relatives said she had shown them the meaning of unconditional love and devotion. Further details about the children have not been released.
Before the crash, the crew reported light clear icing and moderate turbulence. After asking to climb from 35,000 to 37,000 feet, they declared an emergency as the jet descended rapidly. “We are in an overspeed condition, descending,” the crew told air traffic controllers, according to NTSB member Tom Chapman.
At least one person on the ground was injured, suffering a leg injury. Debris landed across ball fields, businesses and homes. The Federal Aviation Administration is assisting the NTSB with the investigation.
