9 victims of private plane crash in Florida neighborhood identified

Palm Beach County authorities began on Monday the process of identifying the nine people who lost their lives on Sunday when a private jet crashed in a residential area of South Florida.

The aircraft, a Learjet 60 operated by Upper Jet, had taken off from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas at 10:37 a.m., bound for North Eleutherain the Bahamas, when it crashed minutes before 1:00 p.m.

Among the fatalities was Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a 20-year-old aspiring commercial pilot who earned her private pilot's license at age 17 in Palm Beach County and was serving as co-pilot on the flight.

The fatalities included the pilot in command, Jeff Gregory, 55, and the tech entrepreneur from Austin, Adam Robinson, 45, who was traveling with his wife Helen Sharp, 40, and their two children, ages 4 and 2, and the children's caregiver, Anita Maria Cetina. The group of passengers also included Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.

Investigators are evaluating reports of icing and turbulence

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported on Monday that the weather conditions are a "primary focus" in the official investigation.

Minutes before losing contact, the crew reported light icing and moderate turbulence while flying at an altitude of 35,000 feet, requesting clearance to climb to 37,000 feet.

Seconds later, the pilots declared an emergency as they began an uncontrolled descent. "We are in an overspeed condition, descending," the crew radioed to air traffic controllers, according to Tom Chapman, a member of the NTSB.

Preliminary analyses by the agency also indicate that the aircraft's structure may have begun to break apart before it struck the ground.

The technology firms Retention.com, RB2B, and Moltsets — led by Robinson — issued a joint statement expressing their sorrow over the loss of their co-founder and his family: "Adam was so much more than our CEO. He was a friend, a mentor, and a courageous and steadfast leader who lived life to the fullest."

Upper Jet's chief operating officer, Thomas Noetzel, sent his condolences to his loved ones and confirmed that the company is fully cooperating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the NTSB to determine the causes of the tragedy.

The crash left debris from the aircraft scattered across playgrounds, businesses and homes, causing a leg injury to one person who was in the area.

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