A tech tycoon and his young family have been named as victims of the horrific Learjet crash in Florida shortly after the 20-year-old copilot of the tragic flight was also identified.
A family member confirmed to TMZ that Austin-based entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 44, his wife, Helen, their two toddlers and two close friends were aboard the crashed Learjet 60 on Sunday. The family was also travelling with their nanny.
Their names have not yet been officially released by US authorities.
A relative in Texas told The New York Post: “It’s quite a blow. We had a daughter, her husband and two grandchildren on the plane.”
The identification of the Robinsons came shortly after Nathalia Gadelha was confirmed to have been the co-pilot who made a desperate call to air traffic control before the crash near Palm Beach, Florida.
Ms Gadelha, who gained her pilot’s licence at age 17, was said by family members to have been at the controls of the Learjet 60 when it crashed on Sunday.
In chilling audio from inside the plane, the crew can be heard reciting the Lord’s Prayer and Ms Gadelha yelling “Mayday, Mayday” and “Holy f***, we’re out of time.”
Hundreds of residents were evacuated from the area near crash site where about 77 mobile homes were parked.
Shocking dashcam footage captured the moment the jet suddenly nosedived to the ground near West Palm Beach before erupting into a huge ball of flames.
Gadelha grew up in Palm Beach County and previously featured in a local media report after first getting her pilot’s license in 2023 while she was still in high school.
“I definitely do brag because people say, ‘Oh, you can’t drive,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I can fly’,” she told CBS12.
The Learjet 60 plunged 34,000 feet before crashing into the ground just before 1pm local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
Air traffic control audio from the plane’s final moments captured the pilot reciting part of the Lord’s Prayer as the aircraft lost control.
In the recording, a man can be heard saying: “Who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,” while Gadelha reportedly warned the aircraft had banked 60 degrees – meaning it was flying sideways.
Moments later, the jet careened into a mobile home in Greenacres, Palm Beach County – leaving behind a large crater in the road.
Officials are expected to provide further details at a press conference later on Monday.
The aircraft, reportedly valued at around £1.6 million, was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.
