Passengers From Texas Identified in Florida Plane Crash

GREENACRES, Fla. — A Texas family of four, two family friends, a nanny and two pilots were killed Sunday when a private Learjet 60 crashed into a roadway in Greenacres, Florida, according to family members and authorities.

Adam Robinson, 44, a tech entrepreneur from Austin, Texas; his wife, Helen Sharp; and their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were aboard the Bahamas-bound aircraft, Sharp’s father confirmed to KVUE. 

Their two friends, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and nanny Anita Maria Cetina also died in the crash.

The two pilots were killed, including 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras of Boca Raton, Florida. Her mother confirmed her death to The New York Times. The other pilot has not been identified.

The jet, which was operated by Upper Jets, departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport before crashing in Florida.

A man in a vehicle near the crash site suffered a leg injury, authorities said.

The crash occurred Sunday, Nov. 1, about 7 miles southwest of West Palm Beach. Video recorded by bystanders showed the aircraft plunging toward the ground before exploding on impact, leaving a crater in the roadway and sending thick black smoke into the air.

The NTSB is leading the investigation with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration. Investigators said Monday that weather conditions, including icing and turbulence, are a major focus.

Air traffic control recordings captured the pilot reporting ice accumulation and moderate turbulence while the aircraft was flying at 35,000 feet. The pilot requested permission to climb before declaring an emergency as the jet rapidly lost altitude.

“We’re descending 8,000 — mayday, mayday — we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” the pilot told air traffic controllers.

The pilot later reported an overspeed condition and a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute before saying, “We’re going to crash into the ground.”

Investigators said there were indications the aircraft began breaking apart before impact. The debris field extended about half a mile, and officials said rain and flooding at the crash site could delay the recovery of flight data.

Filgueiras had logged more than 1,300 flight hours, according to her mother, Camila Corteleti, who spoke to The New York Times. She earned her private pilot’s license at 17, before obtaining her driver’s license. Her pilot credentials included a rating to fly the Learjet 60 but did not authorize her to serve as pilot in command.

In a statement, the families of the victims described Robinson and Sharp as devoted parents whose warmth and generosity touched many lives. They also expressed gratitude to first responders, investigators and the Palm Beach County community and offered condolences to the pilots’ families.

Palm Beach County authorities evacuated about 600 people from a nearby mobile home community following the crash.