Families identify passengers, copilot killed in Florida plane crash

Loved ones have begun identifying some of the nine people killed when a business jet crashed in South Florida, including a family of four, their nanny and the aircraft's pilots.

The Learjet 60, which departed Austin, Texas, and was bound for the Bahamas, crashed at around 12:50 p.m. ET on Nov. 1 near Greenacres in Palm Beach County. Authorities said all seven passengers and two crew members were killed, while one person on the ground suffered a leg injury.

Family members identified the passengers as Adam Robinson, 45; his wife, Helen Sharp, 40; their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2; the children's nanny, Anita Maria Cetina; and another couple, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.

Relatives also identified one of the pilots as Nathalia Filgueiras, 20. The aircraft's captain was identified as Jeff Gregory, 55, by his former employer, East Coast Jets, as well as CBS News and the New York Post.

"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," the families of the passengers in the crash said in a joint statement on Nov. 2. "Our hearts are also with the families of the pilots, who are grieving alongside us."

The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office said on Nov. 2 it was still working to officially identify all nine victims aboard the aircraft.

Meanwhile, federal authorities are investigating the incident, which occurred as thunderstorms moved through the area. Moments before the crash, a person in the cockpit said the crew was "managing the ice," encountering "moderate" turbulence and seeking "better rides," according to audio posted by LiveATC, a website that broadcasts air traffic control communications.

National Transportation Safety Board member Thomas Chapman said investigators have found evidence that the aircraft began breaking apart before impact, though officials are still working to determine exactly what caused the crash.

Adam Robinson, Helen Sharp and their children

Robinson, Sharp and their children, Emma and Charlie, were among the victims aboard the flight.

"It's quite a blow," Helen Sharp's father, Dudley Sharp, 70, told the USA TODAY Network's Palm Beach Post. "We had a daughter, her husband and two grandchildren on the plane."

Reached briefly by phone, Dudley Sharp said his family is still gathering details about the crash. Theodore Robinson, 77, also confirmed his son's identity but said authorities had not yet formally notified the family of his death.

In the joint statement, relatives described Robinson and Sharp as "devoted parents" and said their two toddlers were "the light of their lives."

"Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever," the families said. "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."

In a separate statement shared on the Instagram account for her ceramics business, loved ones remembered Sharp as a talented ceramic artist and world traveler whose greatest joy was her family.

Sharp spent years living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she met Robinson and founded her public relations firm, Influential PR, according to the statement. The couple later built a life together and raised their children, maintaining close ties to communities in Austin and Aspen, Colorado.

"To know Helen was to love her," the statement continued. "Her light was extraordinary, and it will continue to shine through the artwork she made, the legacy she built, and the countless lives she touched."

Anita Maria Cetina

The families identified Cetina as the children's nanny and said she had become part of the family through her care for Emma and Charlie.

"Anita Maria cared for Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion, and she was truly part of the family," the families said in the statement. "She showed us a legacy of unconditional love and devotion."

Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr

Reed, who was originally from the Oklahoma City area, was aboard the plane with her fiancé, Fehr, the USA TODAY Network's The Oklahoman reported. Their families described the couple as "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," according to the statement. "They are deeply loved, and we will miss them endlessly."

Nathalia Filgueiras

Relatives described Filgueiras, the plane's co-pilot, as a young woman who "showed any girl could do what it takes."

Her sister, Giulia Filgueiras, said the 20-year-old "fought until the last moment she could" and had wanted to be a pilot since the age of 12. Giulia Filgueiras, 21, called her sister a brave, "amazing girl" who always followed her dreams, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Her mother, Camila Corteleti, told The New York Times and the New York Post that Filgueiras earned her pilot's license at 17 and had logged more than 1,300 hours of flight time. She said her daughter worked for Upper Jets, a private charter company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for nine months before her death.

In a statement to USA TODAY, Upper Jets offered its condolences to those affected by the crash. "Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this tragedy," the company said, adding that it is committed to supporting the families of those who lost loved ones.

Jeff Gregory

Gregory, the aircraft's captain, worked for East Coast Jets in 2016 and 2017 "before pursuing other opportunities," according to the company. East Coast Jets is a private jet charter and aircraft management company based in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

"We are deeply saddened to learn that Captain Jeff Gregory was among those who lost their lives in yesterday’s tragic aviation accident in Palm Beach," East Coast Jets said in a statement on its website. "Our prayers go out to Jeff’s family, his fellow crew member, the passengers and everyone affected by this heart breaking tragedy."

Limerick Church, where Gregory worshiped, announced his death to its members in an email sent on Nov. 2, according to the New York Post. He was heard reciting The Lord's Prayer over air traffic control communications during the flight's final seconds.

Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY; Arianna Otero and Tom Elia, The Palm Beach Post; Cheyenne Derksen, The Oklahoman