Father of Florida Crash Pilot Jeff Gregory Speaks Out After Son’s Final Moments Are Revealed

The father of veteran pilot Jeff Gregory has paid tribute to his son following the devastating Learjet crash in Florida that claimed nine lives, as new details emerge about the final moments inside the cockpit.

Gregory, 55, from Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, was piloting the Learjet 60 when it crashed in Greenacres, near West Palm Beach, on November 1. The aircraft was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it encountered severe turbulence and reported ice accumulating on its wings.

As the jet began plunging toward the ground, air traffic control recordings captured a male voice apparently reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Friends and former acquaintances believe the voice belonged to Gregory, who was known for his deep Christian faith.

His father, Walter Gregory, remembered him as a devoted and conscientious man who had a genuine passion for flying and a strong love for God. In a tribute shared on social media, he expressed the hope that his son was now at peace.

Jeff’s colleagues also described him as a dependable professional and a devoted family man. Thomas Noetzel, a close friend and director of operations at Upper Jets, organized a fundraising campaign to support Gregory’s wife, Cheryl, and their three children.

Noetzel said that knowing Gregory had made him a better person, describing their friendship as deeply meaningful. The fundraiser was established to help the family cope with the sudden loss of their husband and father.

Gregory had dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood. He spent years pursuing that ambition, eventually earning advanced aviation qualifications, including an airline transport pilot certificate and flight instructor credentials.

He previously worked for East Coast Jets, a private charter company based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, between 2016 and 2017. The company issued a statement expressing sadness over his death and extending its condolences to his family and everyone affected by the crash.

The final radio communications have also revealed the terrifying conditions faced by Gregory and his 20-year-old co-pilot, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras.

Filgueiras told air traffic controllers that the aircraft was experiencing moderate turbulence and accumulating ice. The crew requested permission to climb, but the situation deteriorated rapidly.

During the emergency, the aircraft reportedly descended at an extraordinary rate. Recordings captured the co-pilot warning that they were losing control and that the plane was about to crash.

All nine people aboard were killed when the aircraft struck a residential area in Palm Beach County and burst into flames.

The victims included Gregory and Filgueiras, technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their two young children, their nanny and two family friends.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the disaster. Investigators have recovered important aircraft components several miles from the crash site, suggesting that the jet began breaking apart before impact. However, the official cause has not yet been determined.

For Gregory’s family, the investigation comes alongside the painful task of remembering a man whose lifelong dream was to fly. His final moments have become part of the investigation, but those closest to him are remembering him first as a husband, father, friend and man of faith.

Source: DAILYMAIL