World

Learjet 60 Crashes into Florida Road, Killing All Nine Onboard

By Elizabeth Wolfe, Alaa Elassar

A Learjet 60 traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas crashed into a busy Florida roadway, killing all nine people aboard. The aircraft began a rapid descent after the co‑pilot, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, reported ice and turbulence. Within about a minute the jet dropped more than 27,000 feet, striking Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North in Palm Beach County. The impact caused a crater, shattered pavement, and a fire that produced thick black smoke. A bystander video shows the wreckage and the damage to the highway.

The pilot, Jeff Gregory, and the co‑pilot, Filgueiras, transmitted emergency messages to air traffic control. Filgueiras reported light, clear ice and moderate turbulence at an outside temperature of –47 °C (–53 °F) and later declared a “mayday” as the aircraft descended at up to 20,000 feet per minute. The pilot’s final transmission was “We’re out of time.”

NTSB board member Tom Chapman said investigators are collecting wreckage, including pieces of the left elevator found up to 3.8 miles from the crash site. The investigation will determine whether the aircraft broke apart before or after the catastrophic dive. Weather, including icing conditions, will also be examined.

The nine victims were identified as tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their two children Emma (4) and Charlie (2), caretaker Anita Maria Cetina, and two other passengers, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr. Filgueiras was 20 years old and had more than 1,300 flight hours. Gregory had a wife and young daughters.

A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report said one person on the ground sustained a leg injury. The crash is the second deadliest in the United States this year and the deadliest involving a Learjet 60. The investigation is ongoing and authorities are working to clear the site and restore access to the surrounding area.