A family of four, a nanny, two close friends, and two pilots died when a private Learjet crashed in Palm Beach county, Florida, during a heavy thunderstorm on Sunday. Relatives and officials identified the victims, including a 20-year-old co-pilot and a 55-year-old pilot, as investigators examined severe weather as a primary factor in the disaster.
Victims of the Florida Plane Crash
Family members identified the co-pilot as 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras, who worked for Upper Jets, a Fort Lauderdale-based private charter firm that owned the aircraft. Her mother, Camila Corteleti, told the New York Times that her daughter had been passionate about flying since childhood and loved the freedom it provided. Filgueiras graduated from high school in Boca Raton in 2024 and obtained her private pilot’s license at age 17, according to CBS affiliate 12 News. TMZ and other media outlets identified the pilot in charge as 55-year-old Jeff Gregory from Pennsylvania.
Later on Monday, relatives of the passengers released a statement on Facebook identifying the other victims as Adam Robinson, a 45-year-old Texas technology entrepreneur; his wife Helen Sharp, 40; and their children, Emma, four, and Charlie, two. Close family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr were also killed, alongside Anita Maria Cetina, the children’s nanny. The statement described Robinson and Sharp as devoted parents, praised the adventurous spirits of Reed and Fehr, and noted that Cetina cared for the children with tenderness and devotion.
Crash Details and Weather Investigation
The Learjet 60 was traveling from Austin-Bergstrom international airport in Texas to North Eleuthera airport in the Bahamas when it plummeted from the sky and exploded on impact at 12.51pm local time on Sunday. The crash left a giant crater and scattered debris near a mobile home park in Greenacres. Florida governor Ron DeSantis described the incident as a cataclysmic crash that resembled a missile going down, though no ground fatalities were reported, aside from a nearby car occupant who sustained a minor leg wound.
Tom Chapman, head of a 20-person National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team, stated during a Monday briefing that south Florida weather conditions on Sunday were severe and would be a major focus of the investigation. Air traffic control audio captured a female crew member reporting light ice and moderate turbulence at 35,000 feet before requesting permission to climb to 37,000 feet. Less than 30 seconds later, the crew reported an overspeed condition, announced a descent, and issued a mayday call.
The recording revealed the aircraft descended at more than 20,000 feet a minute before ending with the crew member shouting that they were out of time. Social media videos captured the jet striking the ground almost vertically at high speed. Chapman noted that recovering debris will be a daunting challenge due to the impact velocity, adding that investigators have indications the aircraft was breaking up before impact. On-site investigations will continue for several days, and the Catholic diocese of Palm Beach dedicated an All Souls’ Day Mass to the victims on Monday.
