The passengers and pilots on the private jet that nose-dived into a Florida roadway have been identified. Adam Robinson, a 44-year-old tech entrepreneur, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two kids, ages 2 and 4, were all aboard the Learjet 60 aircraft, Sharp’s father confirmed to KVUE. The family was accompanied by two close friends and a nanny.
The two pilots also died. Jeff Gregory was an aviator with years of experience, his former employer, April Honnen, told The New York Times. His co-pilot was 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras from Boca Raton, Florida. “With broken hearts, our families share that Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina were among those lost aboard the flight that went down near Greenacres, Florida, on November 1,” a family statement said.
“Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were the light of their lives. Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever. 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,” the statement continued.
“Charmi and Rachael were full of joy and adventure. They loved their people fiercely, fully and without hesitation. From the moment they met, they were all in on each other and the life they were building. They are deeply loved, and we will miss them endlessly,” the statement read. “Anita Maria cared for Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion, and she was truly part of the family. She showed us a legacy of unconditional love and devotion.”
“We are deeply grateful to the first responders, investigators, and the Palm Beach County community for their care, and to everyone who has reached out with love. Our hearts are also with the families of the pilots, who are grieving alongside us.”
Video recorded by passersby captured the terrifying moment Sunday afternoon, Nov. 1, when the aircraft plunged from the sky, slammed into the ground and exploded in Greenacres, about 7 miles southwest of West Palm Beach, Florida. Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater as shocked residents looked on in horror. Thick black smoke engulfed the crash site.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Monday that the Learjet 60 plane was operated by Upper Jets. A man on the ground in a nearby car suffered a leg injury, officials said.Filgueiras’ mother, Camila Corteleti, told the New York Times on Monday, Nov. 2, that her daughter had logged more than 1,300 hours of flight time and worked for a private charter based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “She loved the freedom,” Corteleti told the Times. “It was completely different seeing the world from the top.”
