Joe Mixon was nowhere near Florida when a Learjet fell out of the sky on Sunday, but the crash still hit him hard. The former Cincinnati Bengals running back says he flew on that very plane just weeks ago.
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Mixon shared his message on X, a day after all nine people on board were killed. He said he was “absolutely devastated” and then revealed the connection that shook him.
“I flew on that exact aircraft last month with those same two pilots. 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. 💔”
Mixon did not say who he meant. It is unclear whether he was talking about the co-pilot, though a 20-year-old was among those killed. He closed by calling the tragedy “a tragic reminder of how fragile life is.”
The Learjet 60 took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at about 10:37 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, headed for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Less than two and a half hours later, it went down in a residential area near Greenacres in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Around 12:47 p.m., the crew reported ice and moderate turbulence at roughly 35,000 feet. They asked to climb, and then things changed fast. NTSB member Tom Chapman said the crew radioed that they were in an “overspeed condition, descending.”
The plane then dropped at a staggering rate. Chapman said investigators have early signs the jet was coming apart before it hit the ground.
“We do have some indication that the aircraft was breaking up before impact,” Chapman said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the crash scene in blunt terms. He said the jet “looked like a missile going down and left a big crater on the side of the road.”
About 600 people near the crash site were evacuated, and debris was scattered across ball fields, businesses, and homes. Some residents were still waiting to get back inside to collect their belongings. The NTSB and the FAA are investigating, and no cause has been determined. The NTSB has said weather is a major focus, but nothing is confirmed.
The victims are now being named. A joint statement from their families identified Austin tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp and their children, Emma and Charlie, as well as nanny Anita Maria Cetina. It also named Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.
“Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were the light of their lives,” the families wrote.
The co-pilot was identified by her family as Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20. She earned her private pilot’s license at 17 and dreamed of flying for an airline. The captain has been reported as Jeff Gregory, 55, though the operator has not confirmed his identity.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the crash a “horrific tragedy.” NASA’s Jared Isaacman praised the young co-pilot for staying at her post to the very end, even as the situation turned terrifying.
“She was doing her job, communicating with ATC right to the end in a terrifying situation,” Isaacman said.
For Mixon, the thought is personal. A flight he took without a second thought is now tied to a loss no one can explain yet.
The NTSB is asking anyone with photos or video of the crash to email witness@ntsb.gov and leave the debris alone. Until its findings come out, the families and an NFL running back who knew those pilots are left waiting for answers.