Two young children among the nine killed in Florida Learjet crash

Two young children and their parents have been identified as victims of a Florida private jet crash, with their families remembering their “warmth and generosity”.

Nine people were killed when a Learjet 60 crashed in West Palm Beach on Monday morning (AEDT), with the co-pilot of the flight revealed to be a 20-year-old woman who gained her licence while at high school.

Among the dead were Adam Robinson, his partner Helen Sharp and their two children, Emma, four, and Charlie, two.

Robinson was the CEO and founder of several online marketing companies and was based in the United States.

Three other victims were identified as Anita Maria Cetina, who cared for the children, as well as Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr. The identity of the pilot has not yet been disclosed.

In a statement to nine.com.au, the Robinson, Sharpe, Reed, Fehr and Cetina families shared their heartbreak at the deaths of their loved ones, remembering Robinson and Sharpe as caring parents who also loved each other deeply.

“Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were the light of their lives,” they said.

“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.”

They said Cetina cared for the children with “tenderness and devotion”, saying she was “truly part of the family”.

Reed and Fehr were remembered as people with “joy and adventure” in their lives.

“They loved their people fiercely, fully and without hesitation,” they said.

“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 families also expressed their thanks to first responders and investigators on the scene, and also said their “hearts are also with the families of the pilots, who are grieving alongside us”.

Robinson founded several companies – Retention.com, RB2B, and Moltsets – all of which were involved in email and digital marketing.

The teams said they were “heartbroken” by the tragic deaths of Robinson and his family.

“Adam was much more than our CEO. He was a friend, a mentor and a bold, outspoken leader who lived life to the fullest,” they said in a statement to nine.com.au.

“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.

“Our hearts are with Adam and Helen’s family and loved ones, and with everyone affected by the crash.”

Co-pilot got learned to fly in high school

Camila Corteleti told the New York Post and New York Times that her daughter, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, was the co-pilot in the Learjet when it crashed and exploded near West Palm Beach.

Filgueiras earned her licence in 2023 when she was a 17-year-old at a Florida school that had an aviation academy, according to local news reports from the time.

Her pilot’s licence showed she had the rating to fly the jet but not to be in command of the flight.

She told a local television station in 2023 how she was qualified to fly a plane before she could legally gain a full driving licence.

“Some people think that it’s weird that I can fly planes, but I can’t drive a car,” Filgueiras told WPEC-TV.

“I think it’s funny.”

During the NTSB update, officials told media they were working to determine what role Filgueiras played during the crash.

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“We don’t yet know that,” NTSB member Tom Chapman said.

“That is one of the things that we’ll seek to determine.”

Filgueiras was heard on air traffic radio shouting “Mayday” as the Learjet plummeted to the ground.

The plane descended 27,000 feet over the course of one minute, just before flight tracking data cut off, the website ADS-B Exchange shows.

NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator Tim Monville said there were major challenges in piecing together what happened.

“The biggest obstacle that we’re going to have is recovering the major wreckage from the impacted crater on the roadway,”

 “We may find some parts of the aircraft some distance from the crash site.”

The NTSB has confirmed it is investigating the buildup of ice on the aircraft.

Before the crash, the pilot calmly reported ice accumulating on the plane, with an outside air temperature of -47 degrees as well as moderate turbulence.

“That’s certainly a factor,” Chapman said.

- With The Associated Press, CNN