Family members and officials have identified nine individuals killed when a Learjet 60 crashed in South Florida on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. The aircraft was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it went down near West Palm Beach. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are examining whether weather conditions, mechanical failure, or human error contributed to the event.
The NTSB reported on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, that the aircraft showed signs of breaking up before it impacted a multi-lane highway. NTSB member Tom Chapman stated that investigators found evidence of a midair breakup, while aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti noted that components of the jet's tail may have been lost during turbulence or a subsequent dive.
Among the deceased were Adam Robinson, a technology entrepreneur and CEO of RB2B and Retention.com, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2. The manifest also included Rachael Reed, Charmie Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina, who family members described as a caregiver for the Robinson children. The flight crew consisted of pilot Jeff Gregory, 55, and copilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20.
Filgueiras had obtained her pilot's license in 2023 at age 17 through an aviation academy at West Boca Raton Community High School. While her license authorized her to fly the jet, records indicated she did not have the rating to be the pilot in command. Her mother, Camila Corteleti, confirmed her death to news outlets on Monday.
The NTSB investigation will look for causes that could influence safety protocols for Learjet 60 operations. Investigators are evaluating the role of ice and turbulence. Recovery teams have searched for debris that the NTSB warned could be spread some distance away from the impact site.
What happens next: The NTSB is leading the investigation into the wreckage and flight data. While preliminary findings regarding the midair breakup were released on Nov. 2, a full report determining the probable cause typically takes 12 to 24 months to complete. No specific court dates or legislative actions have been scheduled as the investigation remains in the evidence-gathering phase.