Austin tech founder among nine killed in Florida plane crash

Adam Robinson, a 44-year-old Austin-based technology executive, died Sunday in a private jet crash in Palm Beach County, Florida. The Learjet 60, which took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport that morning, was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. All nine people on board were killed.

The NTSB is investigating the incident. Authorities have not yet determined the cause, but the agency stated that weather conditions will be a major focus of the review. The aircraft carried two crew members and seven passengers.

Robinson’s family identified the other victims on Monday. His wife, Helen Sharp, and their two children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were aboard. Their nanny, Anita Maria Apellido Cetina, was also on the plane. Two close friends, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, completed the passenger list.

Robinson’s brother, Anthony, confirmed the deaths in a Facebook post on Monday afternoon. He described Adam and Helen as devoted parents who made people feel welcome. "Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were the light of their lives," Anthony wrote. He added that their loss would be felt deeply by everyone who knew them.

Adam Robinson founded RB2B and Retention.com. His LinkedIn profile also listed him as the founder and CEO of MoltSets. He graduated from Rice University in 2003 and played varsity basketball there from 1999 to 2001. Helen Sharp founded Influential PR, a performance public relations agency. She had recently posted about a trip to Round Top for an antiques fair.

Willis Wilson, Robinson’s former coach at Rice, said the university community was grieving. "He was such an uplifting guy who was loved by his teammates and coaches," Wilson said. The two flight crew members also died. They were 55-year-old captain Jeff Gregory and 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras.

Anthony Robinson thanked first responders and the Palm Beach County community for their care. He asked for privacy as the families grieve. The statement noted that the pilots’ families are grieving alongside the passengers' loved ones.