A multi-millionaire tech entrepreneur and his family have been identified as the passengers on board a jet that crashed in Florida, killing all on board.
The families of the seven passengers issued a heartfelt statement just one day after they were killed when the private plane nose dived in Palm Beach County on November 1.
Adam Robinson, Helen Sharp, and their children, Emma and Charlie; friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr; and nanny Anita Maria Cetina were travelling from Austin, Texas to the Bahamas.
In addition to the seven passengers, there were two crew members onboard.
The families of the passengers released a joint statement sharing their devastation and identifying their loved ones.
They said Adam and Helen, both entrepreneurs, were “devoted parents” to four-year-old Emma and two-year-old Charlie, who were “the light of their lives”.
“Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever,” the post read.
“Their warmth, generosity and gift for making people feel welcome touched so many lives.
“Their loss will be felt deeply by all those who loved them and who they loved in return.”
The children’s nanny, Anita Maria, was travelling with the family and was described as caring for the Robinsons with “tenderness and devotion”.
“She was truly part of the family; she showed us a legacy of unconditional love and devotion,” the post said.
The other two passengers, Rachael and Charmi, were described as being “full of joy and adventure”.
“They loved their people fiercely, fully and without hesitation,” the families said of the couple.
“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.”
While asking for privacy, the family paid tribute to the first responders, investigators, and the Palm Beach community for the love and support they had received.
“Our hearts are also with the families of the pilots, who are grieving alongside us,” they continued.
The family ended by saying details of memorial services would be shared at a later date.
Dudley Sharp, father of Helen, told The Palm Beach Post the crash was “quite a blow”.
“We had a daughter, her husband and two grandchildren on the plane.”
Officials have not publicly identified the victims of the crash.
The two crew onboard have also been identified as pilot Jeff Gregory, 55, and co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20.
After leaving Austin, Texas at 10.37am, the Learjet 60 was en route to the Bahamas when the crew started reporting problems.
Around 12.50pm, the private plane crashed in West Palm Beach, killing all nine people onboard.
One person in a vehicle near the crash site sustained a leg injury.
Palm Beach County authorities were evacuating about 600 people from a nearby mobile home community while the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB investigate the crash.
‘Daunting’ investigation ahead
On Monday, authorities provided an update about what may have caused the Bahamas-bound Learjet 60 to crash.
NTSB member Tom Chapman said 20 investigators had arrived on the ground to help, the BBC wrote.
He said that audio transmissions from the crew were playing an important role.
They told air traffic control multiple times that they were encountering problems with ice and experiencing turbulence.
“We are picking up precipitation, requesting to climb to 37,000 feet if able,” the crew said.
Mr Chapman said that a “mayday call” was issued “less than 30 seconds later” as the plane descended.
He said they believed ice and turbulence were “certainly a factor” in the crash.
Lead investigator Timothy Monille said debris recovery was difficult.
“The biggest obstacle will be in recovering the major wreckage from the impacted crater on the roadway,” he said.
Mr Champman agreed, adding that it would be a “real challenge”.
“That’s one of the things that’s going to be daunting,” he said.
Anyone who finds debris is being urged not to touch it and, instead, report it to authorities.
NTSB revealed that the aircraft began to breakdown before it hit the ground.
They said a “lengthy investigatory process” was expected, hampered by bad weather.
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