Former Houston Texans Bengal and current unrestricted free agent Joe Mixon recently revealed that he once flew on the same private plane that crashed in Florida this past weekend, November 1, killing all nine aboard.
Mixon made the revelation in an X post, sharing that he was on the “exact aircraft last month” and even flew with the same two crew members who lost their lives, one of whom was 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras.
NFL Player Joe Mixon Reveals Heartbreaking Connection to Florida Plane Crash Victims
Joe Mixon revealed in an X post shared on Monday, November 2, that he once flew in the same Learjet 60 that crashed in Florida and killed seven passengers and two crew members.
“Absolutely devastated by yesterday’s tragic plane crash in Florida and the loss of all nine lives,” he began. “I flew on that exact aircraft last month with those same two pilots.”
In his post, Mixon went on to praise the two crew members who tragically lost their lives. “They were incredible professionals and genuinely wonderful people. Hearing the young woman’s story and learning about the bright future she had ahead of her makes it even more heartbreaking that her life was cut so short.”
The Crew Members Who Died Included a 20-Year-Old Co-Pilot
According to USA Today, the two crew members that died in the crash included a 20-year-old co-pilot named Nathalia Filgueiras and other pilot, Captain Jeff Gregory. Filgueiras’ sister confirmed her passing, sharing that the co-pilot “fought until the last moment she could” and called her an “amazing girl.” Her mother also shared that her daughter earned her pilot’s license at 17 and had logged more than 1,300 hours of flight time.
April Honnen, who works for East Coast Jets, confirmed the passing of co-pilot Captain Gregory. In a Facebook post, she shared, “Jeff was a former member of the East Coast Jets team, having worked with us briefly in 2016 and 2017 before pursuing other opportunities. Our prayers go out to Jeff’s family, his fellow crew member, the passengers and everyone affected by this heart breaking tragedy.”
Who Else Died in the Florida Plane Crash?
USA Today reported that a family of four had also lost their lives in the fatal plane crash. Adam Robinson, 45, and his wife, Helen Sharp, 40, along with their two young children, Emma, 4, Charlie, 2, were also killed.
The children’s nanny, Anita Maria Cetina, was also on board, as well as another couple, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr. A family member announced the passing of the seven passengers on board on Facebook: “With broken hearts, our families share that Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina were among those lost aboard the flight that went down near Greenacres, Florida, on November 1.”
The post went on to call Robinson and Sharp “devoted parents” while calling Cetina, the children’s nanny, “truly part of the family.” The post also mentioned the second couple, stating, “Charmi and Rachel were full of joy and adventure.”
The Learjet 60 departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to the Bahamas before it went down in Palm Beach, Florida. According to CNN, the “private jet plunged more than 27,000 feet over the course of one minute toward a Florida roadway,” where video showed it slamming nose-first into the ground.
Mixon ended his X post by writing, “My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to the grieving families and loved ones of everyone on board. A tragic reminder of how fragile life is. Love on your loved ones while you can, because you never know what tomorrow may bring.”
NFL Player Joe Mixon Speaks Out After Learning Pilots He Flew With Died in Florida Plane Crash