‘Flying among the angels’: Pilot in Learjet crash that killed 9 in Florida was a husband, father
The pilot of a business jet that crashed in Florida, killing all nine people aboard, was a longtime aviator, husband and father from the Philadelphia suburbs, according to a colleague who organized an online fundraiser for his family and social media posts from people who knew him.
Captain Jeff Gregory, a 55-year-old husband and father from the Philadelphia suburbs, was the pilot of a business jet that crashed in Florida, killing all nine people aboard, according to a colleague who set up an online fundraiser for his family and social media posts from individuals who knew him. Gregory, a longtime aviator, was one of two crew members in the cockpit of the Bahamas-bound Learjet 60 when it encountered severe weather and crashed near Greenacres, Florida, on Sunday afternoon.
A man's voice reciting the Lord's Prayer was heard on the copilot's final radio transmissions as the plane plummeted. The plane's components likely began to break off before it struck the ground, as stated by a federal investigator. Gregory's co-pilot, 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, informed air traffic controllers of ice accumulation and extreme turbulence before the plane's catastrophic collision.
Thomas Noetzel, Upper Jets' director of operations, organized a fundraising campaign to support Gregory's wife and children, describing him as a "devoted, conscientious, and deeply faithful man who had a genuine passion for flying and a strong love for the Lord." Gregory held multiple aviation certifications and had previously worked for a charter company in Pennsylvania.
His death has been deeply mourned by Upper Jets, charter company East Coast Jets, Inc., and the broader community. The crash's impact was so severe that it created a crater and scattered debris over a wide area. Nine people on board, including technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their two young children, and others, lost their lives.
About 600 nearby residents remain displaced, with only one injury reported on the ground. The National Transportation Safety Board will focus on weather conditions during its investigation, with a preliminary report expected in a month and a comprehensive determination of the crash's cause anticipated to take over a year.
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