NFL star Joe Mixon has paid tribute to the two pilots who were tragically killed in a horrific crash in Florida after revealing he flew with the same crew just weeks ago

A top sportsman has called the pilot and co-pilot of the fatal Learjet crash as "Incredible professionals" after he revealed he flew with the same crew weeks before the Florida incident. Nathalia Gadelha Filgueira, 20, was co-piloting the doomed Learjet 60 alongside pilot Jeff Gregory, 55.

The aircraft plummeted to the ground after the crew issued a mayday call to air traffic control during its journey from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas on Sunday (November 1).

Now NFL star Joe Mixon has paid tribute to both pilots and said he was "devasted" by the news after previously flying with them both.

Mixon, who is a two-time Pro-Bowl running back, particularly singled out young Filgueira in his tribute and called news of her death "even more heartbreaking".

In a post on X, he wrote: "Absolutely devastated by yesterday’s tragic plane crash in Florida and the loss of all nine lives. 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.

"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."

The business jet crashed in South Florida with nine people aboard, including a family with two young children.

A federal investigation is currently underway but it is believed the aircraft may have started breaking apart before it slammed into the ground and erupted in a fireball.

Video recorded by passersby captured the Bahamas-bound Learjet's rapid nosedive Sunday afternoon before it exploded in Greenacres, about seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach. Flames flickered around chunks of pavement lining the crater as shocked residents looked on in horror.

Tech CEO Adam Robinson, 45, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, and their two children, Emma 4, and Charlie, 2, have been confirmed as four of the passengers who lost their lives in the crash.

The other victims are also identified as the couple's friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and their children's' nanny, Anita Maria Apellido Cetina.

The family of passengers praised the couple as "devoted parents" and said the two children "were the light of their lives."

In statement, they 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.”

“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.

"We are deeply grateful to the first 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.

"We ask for privacy as we grieve. Details about memorial services will be shared once arrangements are made."