Pilot's Prayer Recorded Before Learjet Crashed in Florida
Jeff Gregory, 55, and eight others died when severe ice and turbulence brought down the aircraft in Greenacres, leaving a crater and scattering debris.
By Lily Carter ·
Nine people died when a Learjet 60 broke apart and hit the ground in Greenacres, Florida, on Sunday afternoon.
Jeff Gregory, 55, was at the controls. The aircraft was flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas. It encountered bad weather and crashed about seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach.
Federal investigators said parts of the jet likely detached before impact. Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, the 20-year-old copilot, told air traffic controllers that ice was building up and that the plane was shaking violently. She reported the aircraft was thrown up and down more than 700 feet. In her final radio transmissions, her voice was heard shouting, "We are going to die!" Friends who listened to the recordings believe they also heard Gregory reciting the Lord's Prayer.
Gregory lived in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Federal Aviation Administration records show he held certificates for airline transport pilot and flight instructor. He previously worked for a charter company in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He also worked for East Coast Jets, Inc., in 2016 and 2017.
Thomas Noetzel, director of operations at Upper Jets, the company that operated the flight, set up a GoFundMe page for Gregory's wife and children. Noetzel described Gregory as a close friend and a dedicated, faithful man who loved to fly. Walter Noetzel, Thomas's father, posted on Facebook that his friend is now flying among the angels.
April Honnen, sales director at East Coast Jets, said the company was deeply saddened by the loss. She extended prayers to the families of the crew and passengers. The crash site left a crater, and debris spread over a wide area. Photos taken just before impact appear to show the horizontal stabilizer missing from the tail. About 600 nearby residents are still displaced, though only one person on the ground was injured.
Victims included tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two young children. Filgueiras texted her boyfriend about the turbulence and ice roughly 10 minutes before the crash. NTSB member Tom Chapman said weather will be a key focus. A preliminary report is expected in about a month, while the final cause determination may take more than a year.
Gregory's family and colleagues are gathering support while the investigation continues.
Source: KTAZ
