A family of four, including two young children, was among nine people killed after a private Learjet crashed in a residential neighbourhood in Florida on Sunday, November 1.The aircraft, a Learjet 60, was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it plunged towards the ground and exploded into a fireball near Greenacres in Palm Beach County at around 12.50 pm local time.All nine people on board, including two pilots and seven passengers, died in the crash. One person on the ground sustained a leg injury, officials said.The families of seven passengers identified their loved ones in a joint statement on social media on Monday. The victims were identified as Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr and Anita Maria Cetina.The children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were travelling with their parents. Anita Maria Cetina, who worked as their nanny, and family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr were also among the passengers.In the statement, the families described Adam and Helen as devoted parents and said their children were the centre of their lives. They also remembered Reed and Fehr as adventurous and full of joy, while describing Cetina as someone who had become an integral part of the family.The crash also claimed the lives of both pilots. The co-pilot was identified as 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras, whose mother confirmed her death. Filgueiras had earned her private pilot’s licence at the age of 17 and had logged more than 1,300 flight hours, according to her mother.It remains unclear whether she was at the controls when the aircraft crashed.
What happened before the crash?
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the aircraft was flying at approximately 35,000 feet when the pilots reported icing and moderate turbulence.The crew requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet to avoid precipitation. However, less than a minute later, the aircraft began descending rapidly and the pilots declared an emergency.Air traffic control recordings captured a crew member reporting that the aircraft was descending at 10,000 feet per minute, before the rate increased to 20,000 feet per minute.In the final moments, a crew member was heard saying, “We’re going to crash into the ground.” Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated that the descent rate at one point exceeded 32,000 feet per minute.
What investigators have found
The NTSB is investigating the crash, with weather conditions emerging as a major focus.NTSB investigators said there was evidence that parts of the aircraft may have broken off before it struck the ground. Officials warned that debris could be scattered some distance from the main impact site.Investigators are also trying to establish whether the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder was on board at the time of the accident. Maintenance records indicated that one had been installed.The impact created a massive crater near the entrance to a mobile home community. Around 600 residents were evacuated from the neighbourhood as emergency crews and investigators worked at the scene.Authorities urged residents not to move any aircraft debris they might find and instead report it to investigators.
Who were Adam Robison and Helen?
Robinson was an entrepreneur who founded the tech company Retention and regularly gave interviews about building a successful start-up. According to an online profile, Robinson previously worked on Wall Street for 10 years before launching an AI startup named GetEmail.Helen ran a communications firm called Influential PR. She also owned a successful, Aspen-based pottery studio called Helen Sharp Ceramics.
