PALM BEACH COUNTY, Florida — A private Learjet 60 crashed into a road in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, killing all nine people on board in a fiery accident that scattered debris across a mobile home park community. The aircraft, traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas, went down just metres from hundreds of homes, leaving a large crater in its wake.
Co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, was in communication with air traffic controllers until the final moments of the flight. At approximately 12:40 pm, she texted her boyfriend, telling him she had "got turbulence, I've got ice." Throughout the flight, Filgueiras reported ice accumulation and moderate turbulence to Federal Aviation Administration controllers and requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet for better flying conditions, which was approved.
Less than 30 minutes into the flight, the situation deteriorated rapidly. At 12:48 pm, the cockpit transmitted a Mayday call reporting an overspeed condition and a descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute. Audio recordings captured Captain Jeff Gregory, 55, reciting the Lord's Prayer as the aircraft descended uncontrollably. In the final transmission before radio silence, co-pilot Filgueiras exclaimed, "Holy f**k we're out of time."
The jet entered an uncontrolled descent that exceeded 32,000 feet per minute, according to flight-tracking data, before striking the ground and erupting into a massive fireball. Impact footage showed a towering plume of smoke and debris scattered across the area. All nine occupants — the two pilots, millionaire tech tycoon Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their four-year-old daughter Emma and two-year-old son Charlie, nanny Anita Maria Cetina, and family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr — were killed.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms were reported in the area at the time of the crash, according to AccuWeather. Authorities have not yet established the cause of the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. Bombardier, the Canadian manufacturer of the Learjet 60, said it would support the investigation.
The crash left a scene of devastation, with heavy rain complicating recovery efforts. Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said approximately 600 residents were being evacuated from the surrounding area and moved to two shelters. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the event as a "horrific tragedy."
