Tech tycoon, wife and 2 kids killed in Learjet crash, were flying with friends

Nine people killed after a private jet crashed into a Florida highway on Sunday have been identified. The victims included a Texas tech entrepreneur, his wife, their two young children, three other passengers and two pilots.

In Short

• Aircraft was travelling from Austin to the Bahamas when it nosedived
• NTSB is examining ice accumulation, turbulence and possible human error
• Families remembered Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp as devoted parents

The nine people killed after a private jet crashed and exploded on a multi-lane highway in Florida on Sunday have been identified. The victims included a Texas-based tech entrepreneur, his wife, their two young children, three other passengers and two pilots.

The Learjet 60 was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it nosedived onto the highway, triggering a massive explosion. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash to determine whether ice accumulation, turbulence or human error contributed to the accident.

Here is what we know about the nine victims.

ADAM ROBINSON, HELEN SHARP AND THEIR CHILDREN

Texas tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp and their two children, aged four and two, were among those killed.

In a joint statement, the families of some of the victims described Robinson and Sharp as "devoted parents" and said their children 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," the statement said.

Robinson was the founder and CEO of RB2B and Retention.com and also headed Moltsets. He had previously worked with global financial services firm Lehman Brothers and banking group Barclays.

Sharp was an artist, according to media reports. Her father, Dudley Sharp, told The Palm Beach Post that his daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren were aboard the aircraft.

RACHEL REED, CHARMI FEHR AND ANITA MARIA CETINA

Three other passengers, Rachel Reed, Charmi Fehr and Anita Maria Cetina, were also killed in the crash.

Reed and Fehr were described in the family statement as being "full of joy and adventure". It was not immediately clear what their relationship was with Robinson and Sharp.

Cetina, meanwhile, was said to have cared for the couple's children with tenderness and devotion and was considered part of the family.

PILOT JEFF GREGORY AND CO-PILOT NATHALIA FILGUEIRAS

The aircraft's pilot was identified as 55-year-old Jeff Gregory, according to a source familiar with the matter and a flight manifest obtained by CBS.

East Coast Jets, a private charter company where Gregory reportedly worked earlier, confirmed his death and expressed condolences over the tragedy.

Air traffic control audio, captured the panicked final moments aboard a private Learjet 60 as it plummeted to the ground and at the 4:24 mark in the audio, the co-pilot Gregory appears to be heard reciting the Lord's Prayer: "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name"

The co-pilot was identified by US media as 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras, who earned her pilot's licence at the age of 17.

Her mother, Camila Corteleti, confirmed her death, recalling her daughter's passion for flying. "She loved the freedom. It was completely different seeing the world from the top," she told The New York Times.

In a 2023 interview with a local CBS News affiliate, Filgueiras had spoken about earning her pilot's licence while still in high school.

Just 10 minutes before a Learjet crashed in Florida, co-pilot, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, reportedly sent a chilling message to her boyfriend, who is also a pilot: “I've got turbulence, I've got ice.”

Nathalia's stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, shared the message with the New York Post, saying she sent it at around 12.40 pm on November 1.

At approximately 12.50 pm, the Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County, killing Nathalia and the eight other people aboard.

The NTSB is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

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