Families of those who were killed in the fatal private jet crash in Florida on Sunday have confirmed who was on board, including a Texas-based tech entrepreneur and his family.
In a joint statement on social media on Monday, the families of Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two young children from Austin were among the nine passengers killed.
"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," read the statement.
The post went on to call Robinson and Sharp devoted parents to their children and "were the love affair that will last
forever."
Robinson founded and led MoltSets, RB2B, and Retention.com, according to his LinkedIn page.
The other passengers were a couple — Reed and Fehr — whom the statement describes as full of joy and adventure, who "from the moment they met, they were all in on each other and the life they were building."
Cetina, the family's nanny, was described as caring for "Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion, and she was truly part of the family."
"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," the statement ended. "Our hearts are also with the families of the pilots, who are grieving alongside us."
The family of co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras said she was one of the other nine people aboard the aircraft.
Filgueiras, 20, grew up in Palm Beach County and earned her private pilot's license at 17 while attending West Boca Raton High School. She later studied at a Florida branch of an aviation academy headquartered in Addison, Texas.
Officials have not identified the other copilot as of Monday afternoon.
What happened?
The Learjet 60 was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas after departing Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. It crashed near Greenacres, Florida, around 11:50 a.m. CT/10:50 p.m. MT on Sunday, USA TODAY reported.
The crew was flying at about 35,000 feet when they reported icing conditions and moderate but manageable turbulence to air traffic control.
The first officer later requested a climb to 37,000 feet, citing increased precipitation. About 20 seconds later, the crew issued a mayday call.
Air traffic control recordings captured the crew reporting a rapid descent, initially at 10,000 feet per minute and then at 20,000 feet per minute. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the descent rate briefly exceeded 32,000 feet per minute.
The final transmission included the words, "Holy f---! We're out of time!" as she screamed.
What happens next in the investigation?
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Investigators are gathering evidence at the crash site. Investigators have not determined the cause of the crash.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas, based in Austin. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
Brandi D. Addison covers weather nationwide as the Weather Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network and contributes to Texas Connect coverage statewide. She can be reached at baddison@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Facebook here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas family of 4 among 9 dead after Learjet crashes in Florida
