Pilot in deadly Florida plane crash, Jeffrey Gregory, had ties to Pennsylvania

The pilot in Sunday's deadly jet crash in Florida had ties to Pennsylvania, according to a flight company based in the Lehigh Valley.

Capt. Jeffrey Gregory, 55, was at the helm of a private Learjet 60 that nose-dived and crashed near a mobile home park in Palm Beach County. All nine people aboard were killed, including his 20-year-old co-pilot.

Gregory briefly worked for East Coast Jets, a company based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company said Gregory worked there in 2016 and 2017.

"Our prayers go out to Jeff's family, his fellow crew member, the passengers and everyone affected by this heart breaking tragedy," East Coast Jets said in a statement.

A social media page of Gregory's listed his location as Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania.

The Learjet took off from Austin, Texas, and was bound for the Bahamas before experiencing issues on Sunday, Nov. 1. Gregory was heard on radio calls telling air traffic control he was "managing the ice" before making distress calls.

There was severe weather in the area at the time, CBS News reports.