Four-year-old and two-year-old killed in Palm Beach jet crash
A private jet carrying a Texas family and their nanny broke apart in flight before crashing in Greenacres on Sunday.
By Jessica Abebe ·
Four-year-old Emma Robinson died in a plane crash in Greenacres on Sunday. She was traveling with her two-year-old brother, Charlie, their parents Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp, and three other adults.
Relatives confirmed the identities of the seven people aboard the aircraft in a Facebook statement posted on Monday. The group included the children's nanny, Anita Maria Cetina, and two friends, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr. Adam Robinson was identified on his LinkedIn profile as the founder and CEO of several technology companies.
The aircraft was a Learjet bound for the Bahamas. Jeff Gregory, the pilot, had worked for East Coast Jets, a private charter company, in 2016 and 2017. A company spokesperson said Gregory was among those who lost their lives. His co-pilot was Nathalia G. Filgueiras, a 20-year-old who earned her pilot's license at age 17. Her father, also a pilot, taught her to fly.
The jet crashed in a residential neighborhood about seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach. Hundreds of local residents are managing the aftermath of the incident. Some people were forced to spend the night in a shelter.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators are expected to remain at the crash site for several days. They are working to recover wreckage from the area. Investigators found evidence that the aircraft began breaking apart before it hit the ground. Debris from the plane is spread over a wide area.
Weather conditions are a primary focus of the investigation. Rain fell heavily on the region on Sunday. One of the pilots reported icing conditions at high altitude during communications with air traffic control. The families of the victims expressed gratitude to first responders and the Palm Beach County community. They also noted that they are grieving alongside the families of the pilots.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The NTSB has not yet released a preliminary report. The wreckage is being examined to determine the sequence of events leading to the accident.
