Florida plane crash: Texas business tycoon, wife and two children among victims; recovering evidence from crash site a 'real challenge'

A Texas-based business tycoon, his wife, their two young children, a nanny and two friends have been identified as among the passengers killed in a private jet crash near West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. Adam Robinson, 45, and his wife, Helen Sharp, 40, were travelling with their two toddlers aboard the aircraft when it crashed. The family of four from Texas was accompanied by their nanny and two friends, whose identities have not yet been disclosed.

The outlet also identified the aircraft's captain as Jeff Gregory, 55, while Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, was named as the co-pilot earlier on Monday. Robinson was an entrepreneur who founded the technology company Retention and regularly spoke in interviews about building successful startups. His wife, Helen, ran a communications firm called Influential PR and owned Helen Sharp Ceramics, a pottery studio based in Aspen. The couple lived in Austin, Texas.

The Palm Beach Post reported on Monday that it had spoken to the father of one of the victims, who expressed his grief over the loss. "It's quite a blow. We had a daughter, her husband and two grandchildren on the plane." According to Robinson's online profile, he had previously worked on Wall Street for 10 years before launching an artificial intelligence startup called GetEmail.

Disturbing dashcam footage captured the Learjet 60 plunging nose-first towards an intersection before bursting into flames. Audio recordings also captured the co-pilot, Nathalia Filgueiras, screaming during her final communication with air traffic control. Meanwhile, the pilot sitting beside her could be heard reciting the Lord's Prayer as the aircraft descended.

At a press conference on Monday, officials from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said severe weather was believed to have been a 'significant factor' in the crash. They also indicated that part of the aircraft appeared to have broken off before impact. According to officials, the pilots had requested permission to climb 2,000 feet after encountering a thunderstorm, moments before the aircraft began spiraling towards the ground.

Filgueiras, who grew up in Palm Beach County, had a strong interest in aviation. She had previously featured in a local media report after obtaining her pilot's licence in 2023 at the age of 17. In an interview with CBS12, she recalled how she had 'bragged' about the achievement to her friends, saying they would tease her about her driving abilities. ''Oh, you can't drive,' and I'm like, 'Yeah, but I can fly.''

Her mother, Camila, frequently shared photographs of Filgueiras and her siblings travelling on private jets. Her father, Allan, also held a pilot's licence. Speaking to The New York Times, Camila remembered her daughter's passion for flying. ‘She loved the freedom. It was completely different seeing the world from the top.’

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Final moments captured in air traffic control audio

Air traffic control recordings released following Sunday's crash also captured a male voice reciting the Lord's Prayer as the aircraft descended. The unidentified man could be heard saying 'who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name' during the final moments of the flight.

While he prayed, Filgueiras reported that the Learjet 60 had banked 60 degrees, indicating that the aircraft was flying at a steep sideways angle. Investigators are examining stormy weather and possible ice accumulation on the aircraft as potential factors behind the crash. The $2 million business jet was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when the accident occurred.

NTSB member Tom Chapman said during Monday's news conference that the aircraft appeared to have started breaking apart before hitting the ground. He added that investigators expected to find debris some distance from the crash site. 'We do have some indication that the aircraft was breaking up before impact,' Chapman said. 'We may find parts of the aircraft some distance away from the actual impact site.'

The Bahamas-bound aircraft had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. Airport spokesperson Jim Reynolds confirmed that it was a private aircraft. The jet was flying east at an altitude of 35,000 feet when the pilot began reporting problems. Air traffic controllers in nearby Miami had authorised the pilots to 'deviate left and right' because of 'moderate precipitation... to the southeast'. They also described the weather conditions as 'pretty nasty' as the twin-engine business jet approached the area.

Controllers subsequently reported 'moderate turbulence' before Filgueiras's voice became increasingly panicked as she realised the aircraft was in serious trouble. She said: 'Seven two two bravo delta, we're descending 8,000... mayday mayday... we're descending 10,000ft per minute.' Seconds later, she declared an emergency, saying: 'Declaring emergency, declaring emergency, we are in an overspeed condition.'

Her voice became more distressed as she reported the aircraft's rapid descent. 'Descending 20,000ft per minute... we're going to crash into the ground.' The air traffic controller attempted to reassure her, saying: 'I'm here with you, talk to me,'

Filgueiras then reported: ‘We are descending 22,000ft, and we are banking 60 degrees.’ Her final transmission was a desperate warning: 'We're out of time,'