GREENACRES, Fla. — Federal investigators are examining severe weather and signs of in-flight structural failure after a private jet plummeted into a South Florida neighborhood on Sunday, killing all nine people aboard, authorities said.
The 22-year-old twin-engine Learjet 60 departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas at around 10:37 a.m. on Sunday, bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas, according to Fox News. It crashed into a roadway in Greenacres, Florida, roughly seven miles from West Palm Beach, carving a deep crater surrounded by flaming wreckage just feet from residences and passing traffic.
One man who was inside a vehicle directly adjacent to the impact site sustained a leg injury, according to National Transportation Safety Board investigator in charge Timothy Monville, as reported by 6abc Philadelphia.
Clues Point to High-Altitude Trouble
Moments before the descent, the flight crew encountered adverse weather while cruising at 35,000 feet. Crew members reported light clear icing and moderate turbulence before requesting clearance to climb to 37,000 feet, Fox News reported. Air traffic control approved the request, but within 30 seconds, the crew radioed that the aircraft was descending and issued a mayday alert.
In recorded radio transmissions from liveatc.net broadcast by NPR, co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras told controllers the crew was managing ice amidst turbulence. Video recorded by witnesses on the ground captured the plane plunging rapidly toward the neighborhood before exploding in a fireball.
Speaking to reporters, NTSB member Tom Chapman said federal investigators are focusing heavily on weather conditions, including ground storms and upper-level conditions.
“We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact. We’re still seeking to determine that,” Chapman said in remarks reported by NPR.
Chapman noted that locating scattered parts will be challenging because aircraft pieces could be small and spread far from the main impact site.
Victims Identified
Statements from relatives and aviation sources confirmed the identities of those on board. The victims included Austin tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, his wife, Helen Sharp, 40, and their two young children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2.
Robinson served as chief executive and co-founder of Retention.com and headed marketing data platforms RB2B and MoltSets. On Sunday, Robinson posted on LinkedIn that RB2B had reached a milestone of $10 million in annual recurring revenue. In a joint statement released to Fox News Digital, the Robinson and Sharp families mourned their loss:
“Their warmth, generosity and gift for making people feel welcome touched so many lives. Their loss will be felt deeply by all those who loved them and who they loved in return.”
Three other passengers aboard the flight were identified by WPVI as Anita Maria Cetina, who assisted with caring for the children, and friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.
The flight crew consisted of Capt. Jeff Gregory and 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, whose identity was confirmed to ABC News by her stepfather. Gregory had past professional ties to Allentown, Pennsylvania, having flown for East Coast Jets, Inc. during 2016 and 2017 before leaving to pursue other aviation roles, the company told 6abc.
Investigation Continues
The definitive cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Federal safety investigators continue to evaluate flight data, communications, radar feeds, and debris patterns to assess how icing, high-altitude turbulence, and possible structural disintegration contributed to the fatal flight.
NTSB officials have not indicated when a preliminary findings report will be released, and a full determination of probable cause typically takes several months.
