Co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, killed in South Florida Learjet crash
Nathalia Filgueiras, a 20-year-old co-pilot with commercial and instructor licenses, died when a Learjet 60 crashed in South Florida, killing all nine aboard; the NTSB is investigating the cause.
A Learjet 60 carrying seven passengers and two pilots crashed on a Florida roadway Sunday, killing all nine people on board, including 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras. The aircraft was en route from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it descended rapidly and impacted the ground.
Filgueiras, who held commercial pilot and flight instructor licenses and was rated for larger aircraft, had begun flying with her father at age 12 and earned her private pilot’s license before her driver’s license. Her father, Allan Filgueiras, said she described flying as her lifelong passion and recalled teaching him advanced flight drills.
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation. Preliminary findings show the jet encountered icing, turbulence and a possible thunderstorm. Audio from the cockpit captured Filgueiras reporting light ice and turbulence, followed by a mayday call and her final transmission, “We’re out of time.” Investigators recovered part of the left elevator several miles from the crash site, indicating it may have separated before impact, and are searching for the cockpit voice recorder.
Allan Filgueiras, accompanied by his attorney Stuart Grossman, held a news conference, stating he does not intend to make any allegations and will await the government’s findings before consulting experts. He expressed a desire to preserve his daughter’s memory and legacy in aviation.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the crash as resembling a missile falling. The NTSB member Tom Chapman said weather will be a key focus of the investigation and emphasized the board’s goal to determine both what happened and why, to recommend safety improvements.