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Former NFL star who flew on exact plane last month shares heartbreaking message about pilots

Ex-NFL star Joe Mixon says he previously flew on the same Bahamas-bound plane that crashed in South Florida, claiming the lives of nine people.

The free agent, 30, wrote on social media on Monday (2 November) that he was ‘absolutely devastated by yesterday's tragic plane crash in Florida’.

“I flew on that exact aircraft last month with those same two pilots,” he said after 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras was identified as one of the nine who died.

“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 running back said his ‘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,” he added.

In a previous interview with a local news affiliate of CBS News, Filgueiras said she was able to pick up her pilot's licence while still a senior in high school.

"I like being different than everyone," she said back in 2023.

"Some people think that it's weird that I can fly planes, but I can't drive a car, I mean I can but, a lot of people think it's funny."

Filgueiras's mother, Camila Corteleti, told the New York Times: "She loved the freedom. It was completely different seeing the world from the top."

The victims include tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two children, Emma, four, and Charlie, two.

In a joint statement, Adam and Helen’s family said: “Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were the light of their lives. Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever. Their warmth, generosity and gift for making people feel welcome touched so many lives. Their loss will be felt deeply by all those who loved them and who they loved in return.”

Rachel Reed, Charmi Fehr and Anita Maria Cetina were also travelling with their children.

Reed and Fehr were described in the joint family statement as ‘full of joy and adventure’.

"They loved their people fiercely, fully and without hesitation. From the moment they met, they were all in on each other and the life they were building," it said.

Captain Jeff Gregory, 55, has been identified as the pilot of the plane.

"We are deeply saddened to learn that Captain Jeff Gregory was among those who lost their lives in yesterday's tragic aviation accident in Palm Beach," a spokesperson from East Coast Jets said.

National Transportation Safety Board Member Tom Chapman confirmed during a press conference yesterday that 'ice and turbulence' was 'certainly a factor' in their investigation.

Chapman said: "The crew transmitted that they were at 35,000 feet with moderate turbulence with altitude deviations of about 700 feet.

"The crew reported the outside temperature was -47 Celsius, which is -53 Fahrenheit, and they were managing the ice but were in moderate turbulence.

"Very soon after the crew transmitted 'we are picking up precipitation requesting to climb to 37,000 feet if able', which was approved by FAA air traffic control.

"Less than 30 seconds later a transmission from the aeroplane announced the descent followed by a Mayday call about 12:48 Eastern, the aeroplane transmitted 'we are in an overspeed condition descending' with the rest unintelligible.

"Subsequent communications described that the aeroplane was descending rapidly and gave an altitude callout. Sadly all aboard were lost."

November 2, 2026
Families of seven passengers killed in Florida plane crash issue heartbreaking statement

The families of the seven passengers who tragically died in a plane crash in Florida have issued a heartbreaking statement.

Nine people – seven passengers and two crew – were killed after a Learjet 60 private jet plunged from the sky and smashed into the ground.

The relatives of the seven passengers have now shared a joint statement confirming seven passengers aboard the private jet as Adam Robinson, 45, his wife, Helen Sharp, 40, and their two children, Emma, two, and Charlie, four as well as their children’s nanny Anita Maria Cetina; and another couple, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.

The statement read: “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.

“Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were the light of their lives. Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever. Their warmth, generosity and gift for making people feel welcome touched so many lives. Their loss will be felt deeply by all those who loved them and who they loved in return.

“Charmi and Rachel were full of joy and adventure. They loved their people fiercely, fully and without hesitation. From the moment they met, they were all in on each other and the life they were building. They are deeply loved, and we will miss them endlessly.

“Anita Maria cared for Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion, and she was truly part of the family. She showed us a legacy of unconditional love and devotion.”

The statement went on to say the families were ‘deeply grateful’ to emergency responders, investigators and ‘the Palm Beach County community for their care, and to everyone who has reached out with love’.

“Our hearts are also with the families of the pilots, who are grieving alongside us,” it added.

The heart-wrenching statement concluded by asking for privacy as the families come to terms with the tragedy.

Co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, who was just 20-years-old, has also been identified as one of the victims.

Robinson was the CEO and founder of Retention, RB2B and Moltsets.

His company has also paid tribute, saying in a statement: “We are heartbroken by the loss of Adam Robinson, our CEO and co-founder, his wife Helen and their two young children, who died in a tragic plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida, on November 1, 2026.

“Adam was much more than our CEO. He was a friend, a mentor and a bold, outspoken leader who lived life to the fullest. He cared deeply about the people around him and brought energy and conviction to everything he built. His loss is deeply felt across our team and the tech community, as we collectively mourn this significant loss.

“Our hearts are with Adam and Helen’s family and loved ones, and with everyone affected by the crash. We ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.

“Our immediate focus at Retention.com, RB2B, and Moltsets is supporting our employees and Adam and Helen’s family. We are grateful for the kindness and support extended to them and our team.”

An investigation into the cause of the crash has been opened, with investigators saying earlier today (2 November) that the weather conditions were part of the focus.

According to Filgueiras step-dad, the co-pilot had sent a text message to her boyfriend just 10 minutes before the crash, saying: “I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice.”

Pilots and aviation experts have told LADbible that 'severe icing' and weather conditions could have caused the plane to plummet and explained exactly how it happens.

November 2, 2026
Ebola Fears Add To Pressure On Kenya’s Tourism Industry

Malindi, Kenya: Less than a month after Kenya announced its first ever Ebola case, players in the tourism industry are already reporting disruptions in bookings, adding to pressure in an industry that is already facing stiff competition from neighboring destinations prompted by high park fees, Visa fees and rising travel costs.

November 2, 2026
Posta Kenya invests Ksh96M in new specialised vehicles as it shifts beyond mails

What happens when a post office can no longer depend on letters and parcels to keep its business running? For Postal Corporation of Kenya (Posta), the answer lies in finding new ways to make money from its nationwide network, from transporting medicines and fresh produce to handling online shopping deliveries and digital payments.

The corporation is pursuing this shift as traditional mail volumes fall and its liabilities rise to about Ksh7.2 billion. Its latest move, a Ksh96 million investment in 11 specialised vehicles, is part of a wider plan to turn the postal operator into a modern logistics and digital services provider.

The changes are intended to give Posta new sources of income while making better use of its branches and delivery network. However, the corporation must also address its financial obligations and compete with private courier companies that have taken a growing share of the parcel market.

The decline in postal services is reflected in industry figures. Communications Authority data show Posta handled 577,694 domestic letters between April and June 2026, a 70.2 per cent drop compared with the same period a year earlier.

Its domestic parcel volumes also fell by 33.2 per cent to about 993,099 during the 2025/26 financial year. Private courier companies handled 14.4 million domestic parcels in the same quarter, underlining the competition facing the state-owned operator.

Posta is responding by expanding into cold-chain logistics through its Post4Health initiative. The specialised vehicles will transport goods that require controlled temperatures, including medical supplies, blood products, medicines and fresh agricultural produce.

The funding involves the Universal Postal Union, through its Quality of Service Fund and Post for Health programme, and Kenya’s Communications Authority, through the Universal Service Fund.

Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo said the project would help address needs in healthcare and food security while creating a role for postal workers in receiving, sorting, transporting and delivering the consignments.

“Posta is undergoing significant changes under the Government Owned Enterprises Act, 2025. The corporation, now operating as a commercial enterprise, is expected to finance its operations through revenue generated from the services it offers,” Kabogo noted.

Communications Authority Director-General David Mugonyi has described the changes as part of a wider shift in the postal industry, saying: “The Post is not disappearing; it is evolving,” with future opportunities in logistics, parcel delivery, fulfilment, financial services and digital solutions.

Posta’s transformation strategy was reviewed by the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation in October 2025.

Postmaster General John Tonui told the committee that the plan seeks to reposition the corporation as a financially sustainable provider of logistics, e-commerce and digital financial services while maintaining its Universal Service Obligations.

The committee heard details of the corporation’s liabilities, including salary arrears, unremitted pension contributions, supplier debts and amounts owed to the Communications Authority.

Members called for stronger financial controls and clear targets for implementing the turnaround plan. Committee member Kiarie said: “We want Posta to succeed, but success must be measurable, timely, and accountable.”

Among the proposals discussed were restoring Posta as a payment channel for the Inua Jamii programme, integrating PostaPay with school-capitation payments and using its branches to distribute National Government Constituencies Development Fund bursaries.

These services could bring more transactions through post offices while expanding access to government payments.

At the 152nd World Post Day, Public Investments and Assets Management Principal Secretary Cyrell Odede Wagunda said the corporation should make better use of its network of more than 600 outlets under the Government Owned Enterprise Act 2025.

The framework requires the corporation to operate on commercial principles without routine Exchequer support, while designated public-service obligations in remote areas would be separately costed and funded.

Tonui has also announced a strategic agency agreement with a Chinese logistics company aimed at positioning Posta as a super-agent for Eastern and Central Africa. The arrangement focuses on cross-border e-commerce, warehousing and last-mile delivery for Kenyan micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Meanwhile, the Communications Authority is modernising selected post offices through local-area networks, installing radio-frequency identification tracking in dozens of branches and reviewing the postal market structure to reflect the growth of online commerce.

The proposed changes offer Posta several ways to generate income from its existing network. But the real test will be whether the corporation can turn these investments and partnerships into regular business, improve its financial management and settle its outstanding obligations.

November 2, 2026
Govt announces Diwali dates and issues fireworks rules

The Hindu community in Kenya will celebrate Diwali and Hindu New Year from Friday, November 6 to Sunday, November 8, 2026, with the government setting conditions for the use of fireworks during the three-day festivities.

The Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs has reminded organisers that fireworks displays must be approved and conducted in line with the Explosives Act, Cap 115 of the Laws of Kenya.

In a public notice issued through the State Department for Mining on November 2, 2026, through MyGov, Cabinet Secretary Hassan Ali Joho said the celebrations are traditionally marked with fireworks at authorised venues. He urged the community to ensure displays are conducted “in an orderly manner so that the general public are not inconvenienced.”

Organisers planning fireworks displays must obtain permits from the State Department for Mining offices at Madini House or the respective County Mining offices.

The displays will only be allowed at approved venues, including clubs, hotels, temples, sports grounds and school compounds. Other locations may be used where they have been approved by an Inspector of Explosives.

The government has also restricted fireworks displays to between 7 pm and 11 pm on the three authorised dates.

Organisers are required to make the necessary arrangements before the celebrations to ensure their displays meet the requirements set out in the notice.

Display shells in these areas must not exceed four-inch calibre unless an exemption is granted by an Inspector of Explosives.

The government has also restricted the handling of aerial fireworks to qualified, experienced and sober individuals. This requirement applies to people firing aerial shells and other aerial display fireworks.

The measures are intended to ensure that fireworks are handled by people with the necessary experience and that displays take place at approved locations.

The State Department for Mining has also issued rules for dealers selling fireworks ahead of the celebrations.

Under the Explosives Act, dealers are prohibited from selling fireworks to children below the age of 13. Anyone who sells fireworks to a child below this age commits an offence under the law.

Aerial display fireworks, including shells, rockets, Roman candles and cakes, may only be sold to people holding valid display permits signed by an Inspector of Explosives.

The restrictions place responsibility on both event organisers and dealers to ensure fireworks are obtained and used within the law.

The government said the requirements would help maintain public safety and order during the festivities.

Joho concluded the notice by extending the ministry’s wishes to the Hindu community, saying: “We take this opportunity to wish the Hindu Community a Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New year.”

November 2, 2026
Kenya Pipeline profit after tax rises to Ksh11.58B as revenue surges

Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) has posted a 13 per cent increase in profit after tax to Ksh11.58 billion for the 2025/26 financial year, supported by a 9 per cent growth in group revenue to Ksh43 billion.

Acting Chief Financial Officer Anthony Ndegwa presented the company’s financial performance to investors during a roadshow in Kigali, Rwanda, on November 1, 2026, where the company also outlined plans to expand its regional pipeline network.

The results come as KPC pursues opportunities in East Africa, with Rwanda emerging as a key market in its expansion strategy. The company is exploring a proposed pipeline extension to Kigali to improve the transportation and storage of petroleum products across the region.

Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Pius Mwendwa said Rwanda was an important market in the company’s regional growth plans.

“Rwanda is an important market in our regional growth ambitions. We see significant opportunities to strengthen our partnership, enhance regional connectivity and support the country’s growing energy needs through reliable transportation and storage infrastructure,” he said.

He added that the company was looking beyond its existing markets, with the proposed Kigali extension expected to create an opportunity to “enhance supply reliability, improve efficiency and strengthen regional integration.”

KPC said it was pursuing growth through investments in pipeline expansion, storage capacity and infrastructure modernisation, alongside partnerships aimed at meeting rising energy demand across East Africa.

The Rwanda investor roadshow is part of the company’s engagement with investors and regional stakeholders to present its growth strategy and explore opportunities for regional connectivity and energy security.

The financial results come months after the government sold 65 per cent of KPC through an initial public offering priced at Ksh9 per share. Trading of the shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange began on March 9, 2026.

The state retained a 35 per cent stake in the company, while Uganda National Oil Company holds approximately 20.15 per cent.

The purchase made Dangote the company’s second-largest shareholder. It also drew attention to KPC’s ownership structure following the government’s partial privatisation of the company.

Ruto has argued that the acquisition involved a private investor using his own funds and maintained that the government would not allow intermediaries to buy shares at lower prices for resale at a profit.

He has also pointed to the rise in KPC’s share price following the transaction, projecting further growth in the company’s value over the coming years.

KPC operates a pipeline network used to transport petroleum products from coastal facilities to inland and regional markets. Its latest financial performance and proposed expansion plans place the company at the centre of efforts to strengthen energy supply infrastructure across East Africa.

November 2, 2026
Two Marsabit exam centres relocated over clan clashes as KCSE main papers begin

Two Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination centres in Moyale Sub-County, Marsabit County, were relocated following insecurity linked to clan clashes along the Kenya-Ethiopia border.The decision was taken to safeguard candidates and examination personnel as the country entered the main phase of the 2026 KCSE examinations on Monday, with more than one million candidates beginning their written papers.

November 2, 2026
Singapore education conference offers lessons for Kenya’s CBE reforms

Singapore has placed early childhood education at the centre of an emerging global debate on artificial intelligence, with education leaders from 18 countries gathering to examine how schools can prepare children for a rapidly changing technological world without sacrificing the human foundations of learning.The discussions carry important lessons for Kenya as it continues implementing Competency-Based Education (CBE), particularly at the Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) level, where the foundations of creativity, communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and social development are established.

November 2, 2026
Martha Karua calls for Tundu Lissu’s release after brother’s death

Kenyan lawyer and politician Martha Karua has called for the release of Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu following the death of his elder brother, Alute Lissu Mughwai.

Karua said Lissu should be allowed to leave prison and join his family in mourning Alute, who died on November 1, 2026, after a prolonged illness.

In a statement posted on X on November 2, 2026, Karua expressed her condolences to Lissu and the entire family, recalling that she had met the deceased during a visit to Tanzania in April 2025.

Alute, who was also a lawyer, had appeared at Kisutu Court to represent his younger brother.

“This personal encounter makes his passing particularly close to my heart,” she wrote.

The former Justice Minister said it was painful that Lissu had to receive news of his brother’s death while in detention and could not stand with his family during the mourning period.

She also highlighted his role in advocating for freedom, justice and democracy in the region.

“Tundu Lissu has been at the forefront of this struggle—standing firmly for the rights of his people and the democratic future of our region,” Karua said.

She described the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death as particularly difficult, noting that the family had postponed the burial arrangements.

“It is profoundly painful that a man who has given so much to the struggle for freedom must now face such a personal loss without the freedom to grieve as he should,” she stated.

“We will continue to stand with Tundu and to demand his release. He ought to be free to mourn his brother, to stand with his family in this hour of grief, and to continue the struggle for a more just, free and democratic East Africa.”

Alute died in Arusha in the early hours of November 1, 2026, after being unwell for a long time. His younger brother, Vincent Lissu, described him as a father figure and role model, particularly to Tundu.

The family has postponed the burial, which is expected to take place at Mahambe Village in Ikungi District, Singida Region, to allow relatives to attend the judgment in Tundu Lissu’s treason case.

The High Court in Dar es Salaam is scheduled to deliver its judgment on November 6, 2026. The family has said it will communicate further funeral arrangements after the court proceedings.

Lissu, the national chairman of the opposition party CHADEMA, has been in detention since his arrest on April 9, 2025. He faces a treason charge linked to remarks he made during the campaign for electoral reforms ahead of Tanzania’s 2025 General Election.

Karua’s appeal follows her previous involvement in Lissu’s case. In May 2025, she and two other Kenyan lawyers were detained and deported from Julius Nyerere International Airport while travelling to observe court proceedings.

November 2, 2026
Winnie Mandela, a murdered boy and an apology nine years later

There are apologies that heal wounds, and there are apologies that arrive so late that they reopen wounds the victims have spent years trying to survive. There are also apologies that leave the world wondering whether the person saying sorry is genuinely remorseful or simply responding to the unbearable pressure of public scrutiny.

November 2, 2026