Palm Beach County Learjet crash kills family of four, two crew members

Palm Beach County, Florida, was the site of a fatal aviation accident on Sunday when a twin-engine Learjet 60 crashed into a roadway. Authorities confirmed that all nine individuals aboard the aircraft, consisting of two crew members and seven passengers, died in the impact. The crash occurred just before 1 p.m. ET near Military Trail, between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue in the Greenacres community.

The victims include Adam Robinson, Helen Sharp, and their two young children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2. Robinson’s brother, Anthony Robinson, identified the family in an online statement. He described the couple as a lasting partnership whose warmth and generosity touched many lives. The co-pilot was identified by her stepfather as Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a 20-year-old resident. The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office stated that official release of all victim identities awaits the completion of DNA collection and assessment by the medical examiner’s office.

The aircraft, owned by Aurora Aviation and operating as Upper Jets, departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport around 10:37 a.m. ET on Sunday. It was bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. At 12:47 p.m. ET, while cruising at 35,000 feet, the crew reported encountering moderate turbulence and light clear ice. The pilot noted that the turbulence caused altitude deviations of approximately 700 feet. The outside air temperature was recorded at minus 53 degrees Fahrenheit. The crew received permission to climb to 37,000 feet, but less than 30 seconds later, they transmitted a Mayday call indicating an overspeed condition and rapid descent.

NTSB board member Tom Chapman stated that the aircraft was breaking up before impact. The plane plummeted at 350 feet per second, creating a large crater in the roadway near a shopping center. One driver in a vehicle adjacent to the crash site sustained a leg injury. The debris field measured approximately one-half mile by four-tenths of a mile, scattering wreckage across ball fields, businesses, and houses.

County officials evacuated hundreds of residents from 77 mobile homes following the incident. NTSB investigator in charge Timothy Monville said weather conditions are a major focus of the investigation, noting that the reported turbulence is a factor. The agency does not have precise airspeed data but confirmed the jet was traveling at high speed before the crash. A cockpit voice recorder was installed on the aircraft, though it remains unclear if it remained onboard during the final flight.

Monville said recovering wreckage from the crater is the primary obstacle for investigators, as rainwater has seeped into the hole. Current weather conditions also present difficulties for the team. Investigators plan to remain at the scene for several days to collect evidence. The FAA and NTSB continue to determine whether the jet flew through an active thunderstorm prior to its descent.

Anthony Robinson said the loss of his sister and brother-in-law will be felt deeply by those who knew them. The NTSB has not yet released a preliminary report on the cause of the crash. Officials expect further updates as the DNA analysis concludes and the debris field is fully examined.