Tech Tycoon, Wife, 2 Kids Among 9 Killed in Learjet Crash
Austin entrepreneur Adam Robinson was travelling with his family, nanny and close friends when the aircraft crashed in Florida.
An Austin-based technology entrepreneur, his wife, their two young children, a nanny and two close friends were among nine people killed when a Learjet 60 crashed into a residential area near Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.
The family was identified as entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 44, his wife Helen and their two toddlers. A family member confirmed to TMZ that the couple's children and two close friends were also aboard the aircraft. The family was accompanied by their nanny.
The identities of all those on board have not yet been officially released by US authorities. A relative of the family told The New York Post that the incident had left them devastated.
"It's quite a blow. We had a daughter, her husband and two grandchildren on the plane," the relative was quoted as saying. The Learjet 60 had been flying for about two hours before crashing into a residential area in Florida. The aircraft reportedly descended at around 20,000 feet per minute before hitting the ground.
Before the crash, the pilot informed air traffic controllers that the aircraft was experiencing moderate turbulence and passing through precipitation.
Audio captured the pilot issuing a distress call, shouting, "Mayday! Mayday!" The pilot was also heard saying, "We're going to crash into the ground!" In the final transmission, the pilot reportedly said they were "out of time".
National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said on Monday that the aircraft appeared to have started breaking apart before impact. "We do have some indication that the aircraft was breaking up before impact," Chapman said, adding that debris could be found some distance from the crash site.
Meanwhile, US media identified 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras as the co-pilot. She obtained her pilot's licence at 17, before receiving her driver's licence. Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the crash. Its cause has not yet been established.