The families of seven passengers killed in a Florida Learjet crash have issued a joint statement identifying their loved ones and describing the devastation left behind.
Adam Robinson, 45, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, their children Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, the couple’s nanny Anita Maria Cetina, and another couple, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, were all aboard the private jet when it went down near Greenacres on November 1. The crash claimed nine lives total, including two crew members.
“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 1,” the families wrote in their statement.
The relatives described Adam and Helen as devoted parents whose “warmth, generosity and gift for making people feel welcome touched so many lives.” They called Emma and Charlie “the light of their lives” and said Helen and Adam shared “the love affair that will last forever.”
Of Reed and Fehr, the families wrote: “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.”
The statement also honored Cetina’s care for the two young children. “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.”
The families expressed gratitude to emergency responders, investigators, and the Palm Beach County community, adding that “our hearts are also with the families of the pilots, who are grieving alongside us.” They concluded by asking for privacy.
Robinson’s companies, Retention.com, RB2B and Moltsets, released their own tribute to the founder and CEO. “We are heartbroken by the loss of Adam Robinson, our CEO and co-founder, his wife Helen and their two young children, who died in a tragic plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida, on November 1,” the company statement read.
“Adam was much more than our CEO. He was a friend, a mentor and a bold, outspoken leader who lived life to the fullest. He cared deeply about the people around him and brought energy and conviction to everything he built. His loss is deeply felt across our team and the tech community, as we collectively mourn this significant loss.”
The co-pilot, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, has also been identified among the dead. According to her stepfather, she texted her boyfriend roughly 10 minutes before impact with a chilling message: “I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice.”
The Learjet 60 plunged from the sky and smashed into the ground in the afternoon tragedy that has drawn scrutiny to weather conditions as a possible factor. Investigators said on November 2 that weather was part of their focus, and aviation experts have pointed to severe icing as a potential cause of the sudden descent.
Captain Jeffrey Gregory, 55, was identified as the other pilot killed. A friend described how he “truly loved and poured his life” into flying. The aircraft had received a warning from air traffic control in May, though details of that warning were not immediately clear.
The National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation into what caused the jet to go down.