The Eyrie

AUSTIN, TX — A family with ties to Austin was among the nine people killed when a business jet bound for the Bahamas crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday. The victims included Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, and their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2.

Federal investigators say the aircraft’s crew reported ice buildup and turbulence shortly before the Learjet 60 went down on a road in a residential area. Two pilots were also killed. Authorities said one man driving away from the area suffered a leg injury, but there were no other reports of injuries on the ground.

Families identify the passengers killed in the crash

In a joint statement, the victims’ families identified the seven passengers who died in the crash. Along with Robinson, Sharp and their two children, they named Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr and Anita Maria Cetina.

The family statement described Robinson and Sharp as devoted parents and said their children were the light of their lives. Reed and Fehr were described as partners full of joy and adventure. Cetina was remembered for caring for Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion and for being truly part of the family.

Robinson founded and led Retention.com and RB2b, marketing technology companies focused on helping businesses identify website visitors. Sharp had served as CEO and founding partner of Influential PR. In September, she posted that the family was making Aspen, Colorado, their permanent home after a trial period while she focused on a new ceramics company.

How the flight left Austin and headed for the Bahamas

NTSB board member Tom Chapman said the jet departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at about 9:37 a.m. local time Sunday for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. Public flight-tracking data showed the aircraft on the ramp near Signature Aviation before takeoff.

Signature is one of three fixed-base operators at the airport and provides services including fueling, parking and passenger amenities. A person who answered the phone there said someone would return a call to KUT News.

The NTSB said the flight was operated by Aurora Aviation, doing business as Upper Jets, as a Part 135 operation. That designation covers on-demand commercial services such as charter flights and air taxis.

Crew reported ice and turbulence before the emergency

According to the NTSB, the crew contacted air traffic controllers at around 11:47 a.m. Central time while flying at 35,000 feet. The pilots reported light, clear ice and moderate turbulence, and Chapman said they described the ice as manageable.

Clear ice is a transparent glaze that forms when water droplets strike an aircraft and spread before freezing. Investigators said the turbulence was causing the plane’s altitude to vary by about 700 feet. The crew then reported precipitation and asked to climb to 37,000 feet, a request that air traffic control approved.

Less than 30 seconds later, the pilots reported the aircraft was descending and declared an emergency. They said the plane was dropping at 10,000 feet per minute and then 20,000 feet per minute. One pilot also reported the jet was in an overspeed condition.

Seconds later the pilots warned they were going to crash

Before impact, a pilot told air traffic control, “We’re going to crash into the ground,” as the crew relayed altitude readings and the angle of the aircraft’s bank. The jet hit the ground at about 11:51 a.m. Central time, just minutes after the last routine climb request was approved.

Investigators said there are early signs the aircraft may have started breaking apart before it reached the roadway. The crash site left a debris field about half a mile long, with pieces scattered across ball fields, businesses and residential properties.

About 400 people were evacuated from nearby neighborhoods, including an area with dozens of mobile homes, while crews searched for wreckage. Officials said the search for major pieces of the plane would be difficult because of the crater in the road.

Officials say identifying the victims could take time

Palm Beach County officials said formal identification of the dead may take time because DNA testing will be needed. County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo said people should not expect quick answers, calling it a lengthy process.

The NTSB said about 20 investigators are now working the case. Tim Monville, the investigator in charge, said crews were just beginning documentation and had a lot of work to do on scene.

Government officials have not determined what caused the crash. Federal investigators say they are still examining the wreckage, the flight data and the crew’s final communications as they work to understand why the plane lost control so quickly.