Listen to the audio recording in the article.
USA. – The names of nine people who died in a plane crash near Greenacres in Palm Beach County, Florida on Sunday have been released. The victims include a family with two young children, their nanny and two friends, as well as the pilot and co-pilot of the private Learjet 60. The aircraft crashed and burst into a ball of fire that created a crater in the ground. Audio from shortly before the crash is meanwhile being widely shared on social media.
The families confirmed in a joint statement that Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their children Emma (four) and Charlie (two), Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr and Anita Maria Cetina were among the victims. Cetina had cared for the Robinson couple's children. The co-pilot, twenty-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, was identified by her family, while the pilot was Jeff Gregory (55). The aircraft was en route from Texas to the Bahamas when it crashed in the Greenacres area.
A recording of the final conversation between the crew and air traffic control in Miami has since been released. The crew initially reported on ice accumulation, rain and turbulence, before a distress call was made. In the recording, the aircraft's descent is reported at 10 000 feet per minute, before the rate increases to 20 000 and later 22 000 feet per minute. The crew also says they are going to crash. The voice of the female crew member is audible in the recording, but her identity cannot be confirmed based on voice alone.
The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash. An investigator said there are indications that parts of the aircraft broke off before impact. Weather conditions, including ice accumulation and turbulence, are being investigated, but the cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Anthony Robinson's joint statement from the deceased can be read below here:
A joint statement from the families of Adam Robinson, Helen Sharp, Emma and Charlie Robinson, Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr and Anita Maria Cetina:
With broken hearts, our families share that Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina were among those lost aboard the flight that went down near Greenacres, Florida, on November one.
Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, four, and Charlie, two, were the light of their lives. Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever. 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.
Charmi and Rachel were 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. They are deeply loved, and we will miss them endlessly.
Anita Maria cared for Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion, and she was truly part of the family. She showed us a legacy of unconditional love and devotion.
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. Our hearts are also with the families of the pilots, who are grieving alongside us.
We ask for privacy as we grieve. Details about memorial services will be shared once arrangements are made.
With love,
The Robinson, Sharp, Reed, Fehr, and Cetina families
Sources: Protothema, Euronews, CBS Miami, NBC6 – NTSB, New York Post
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
