Nine killed as Learjet crashes in Florida; victims identified as NTSB says weather is a major focus

All nine people on board a Learjet 60 private jet were killed when the aircraft crashed into a neighborhood in Palm Beach County, Florida. Those killed in the Sunday afternoon crash include a 20-year-old aspiring pilot and a Texas couple traveling with their two young children.

The jet departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas at about 10:37 a.m. on Sunday, headed for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Shortly before 1 p.m. it plunged into a South Florida neighborhood and erupted into a fireball. The crash site was about nine miles from Mar-a-Lago.

National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said on Monday that weather conditions are a “major focus” of the investigation. He said there are preliminary indications the aircraft may have begun breaking apart before impact. The cause of the crash has not been determined.

Federal investigators said that shortly before the jet rapidly lost altitude, the crew reported light clear icing and moderate turbulence at about 35,000 feet.

The crew requested permission to climb from 35,000 feet to 37,000 feet. The crew then declared an emergency as the aircraft began rapidly losing altitude. According to Chapman, the crew told air traffic controllers: “We are in an overspeed condition, descending.”

At least one person on the ground suffered a leg injury. Debris from the aircraft was scattered across ball fields, businesses and homes. The Federal Aviation Administration is assisting the NTSB with the investigation.

One of those killed was Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a 20-year-old from Palm Beach County who aspired to become a commercial pilot. She earned her private pilot's license at 17, before she got her driver's license. She trained through her high school's aviation academy and later graduated from American Flyers flight school.

Also killed were Austin tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two children — four-year-old Emma and two-year-old Charlie. Adam Robinson was chief executive and co-founder of Retention.com and also led RB2B and Moltsets. Helen Sharp was an entrepreneur, a potter and the owner of a public relations company.

In a joint statement, the families remembered Adam and Helen for their “warmth, generosity and gift for making people feel welcome,” and described their relationship as “the love affair that will last forever.” Of Emma and Charlie, the families said the children were “the light of their lives.”

Retention.com, RB2B and Moltsets said in a statement: “Adam was much more than our CEO. He was a friend, a mentor and a bold, outspoken leader.” The companies said their immediate focus is supporting employees and Adam and Helen's family.

Also among the dead were Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, who were building a life together that their families described as filled with “joy and adventure.” Anita Maria Cetina, who cared for Emma and Charlie, was also killed; the family said she cared for the children “with tenderness and devotion” and was truly part of the family.

No additional information about the children has been released. Investigators are continuing their work to determine what caused the crash.