Montgomery County man was pilot of the jet that crashed in Florida
The veteran pilot of the jet that crashed in South Florida killing all nine people on board — including 20-year-old co-pilot, Nathalia Filgueiras — was Jeff Gregory, of Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania.
The pilot of the Learjet 60 that crashed in South Florida Sunday and left nine people dead has been identified as a Montgomery County man who previously worked for an Allentown-based aviation company.
Jeffrey Gregory, 55, of Gilbertsville, obtained his transport pilot’s license in 2021 and was certified to fly multiple Learjet models, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. He became a certified flight instructor for single-engine and multi-engine aircraft in April 2025.
According to his LinkedIn, Gregory began working at East Coast Jets, a private jet charter company in Allentown. In a statement provided to multiple news outlets, the company confirmed Gregory worked there from 2016 to 2017 and expressed condolences for this “heartbreaking tragedy.”
Gregory grew up attending Limerick Chapel in Pennsylvania, with both of his parents working at the church and always dreamed of flying, according to a former neighbor who spoke with the US Sun.
He’s being remembered in social media tributes as a loving father, husband, and aerophile.
In audio transmissions from the plane’s descent, a male voice could be heard reciting the Lord’s Prayer. John Goldfuss, who attended Bob Jones University with Gregory, said on Facebook he had “no doubt” it was Gregory’s voice.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the crash alongside the Federal Aviation Administration.
Federal investigators suspect the business jet was already breaking apart before it slammed into the ground in Greenacres, just southwest of West Palm Beach, Fla., and erupted into a fireball. Thick black smoke engulfed the crash site, and little remained of the plane.
The private jet had been traveling from Texas to the Bahamas.
Nine people were aboard the plane, including 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, who made the final radio transmissions; technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, and their two young children, Emma and Charlie; the family’s nanny, Anita Maria Cetina; and couple Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.
The jet did a steep nosedive, leaving behind a crater and a wide debris field as rain pounded the area. One injury was reported on the ground, and about 600 nearby residents remain displaced.
Authorities said weather will be a key initial focus of the investigation, and that the National Transportation Safety Board will also examine the actions of the crew and look for any mechanical problems with the plane.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.
