Investigators believe parts of a private jet that crashed in Florida and killed all nine people onboard may have broken off while it was in the air. The Learjet 60 had been bound for the Bahamas from Austin, Texas when it nosedived into a multi-lane highway and exploded on impact.
Investigation and Flight Data
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that weather conditions would be a major focus of the investigation, though officials were struggling to access the wreckage due to the huge crater created by the jet on the road in Palm Beach. The plane crashed on Military Trail, a six-lane road featuring businesses and restaurants, at around 12:50 local time (17:50 GMT) on Sunday.
Lead investigator Tim Monville told a news conference on Monday that the biggest obstacle facing the team was recovering the major wreckage from the impacted crater on the roadway. The NTSB noted that the crater, near the entrance to a mobile home park, had become partially filled with water because of severe storms, while heavy rainfall and thunderstorms had been reported in the area at the time of the crash. Debris was scattered across sports fields, businesses, and homes nearby.
Tom Chapman of the NTSB said there was some evidence that the aircraft experienced a breakup before impact, adding that parts of the aircraft might be found some distance away from the actual impact site. Officials are also trying to determine whether a cockpit voice recorder was onboard and whether it can be recovered.
Flight analysis indicates the jet was plummeting hundreds of feet per second before the crash. Air traffic control audio recordings capture someone in the cockpit reporting moderate turbulence and managing ice, while mentioning that the plane was picking up precipitation and needed to climb. Moments later, the same voice reported the plane was descending at a rate of 10,000ft (3,048m) per minute. An emergency was declared as the crew yelled they were in an overspeed condition descending 20,000ft per minute before stating they were going to crash into the ground. One man in a car on the ground sustained a leg injury.
The Victims
Seven passengers died on board, identified in a joint family statement as tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two children, four-year-old Emma and two-year-old Charlie, as well as family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and nanny Anita Maria Cetina. Media reports named the pilot as 55-year-old Jeffrey Gregory and the co-pilot as 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras.
Robinson and Sharp’s family described them as devoted parents whose children were the light of their lives, adding that Helen and Adam shared an enduring love affair whose warmth and generosity touched many lives. Robinson’s LinkedIn page listed him as the founder and CEO of RB2B and Retention.com, and CEO of Moltsets, while Helen Sharp worked as an artist according to media reports. Robinson previously worked at Lehman Brothers and Barclays.
The joint statement praised nanny Anita Maria Cetina for caring for Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion, noting she was truly part of the family. Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr were described as full of joy and adventure who loved their people fiercely and without hesitation.
Nathalia Filgueiras’s mother, Camila Corteleti, confirmed her daughter’s death to US media, telling the New York Times that she loved the freedom and seeing the world from the top. Filgueiras had previously spoken in a 2023 interview about her pride in receiving her pilot’s licence while still a high school senior.
A spokesperson for East Coast Jets, where pilot Jeff Gregory formerly worked, expressed deep sadness that Captain Jeff Gregory was among those who lost their lives in the tragic aviation accident. US media reported that he was married with two children.
The NTSB continues its investigation into the fatal crash, focusing on weather conditions, wreckage recovery from the crater, and the analysis of flight data and audio recordings.
