A tragic incident occurred in Florida on Sunday, 1 November, when a Learjet 60 crashed in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, claiming the lives of all nine people on board. Among the victims was 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, who had accumulated over 1,300 hours of flying experience. She had obtained her private pilot's licence at just 17, before she even held a driving licence.
According to Nathalia's stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, she sent a text message to her boyfriend, Justin, approximately 10 minutes before the crash, describing the frightening conditions aboard the plane. The message read, "I've got turbulence, I've got ice." Justin, also a licensed pilot, shared Nathalia's passion for aviation. The couple's love for flying was evident on Nathalia's social media pages, which captured her growing career in the skies.
Nathalia had been working as a commercial pilot for roughly nine months before the accident. Although she was qualified to operate the Learjet 60, she was not authorised to serve as pilot in command. Her remarkable aviation journey began at a young age, with her first obtaining her private pilot's licence in 2023, at the age of 17, while still completing her final year at West Boca Raton Community High School in Florida.
The Learjet 60 had taken off from Austin, Texas, and was bound for the Bahamas when conditions deteriorated over Florida. The aircraft was cruising at around 35,000 feet when the crew began reporting turbulence, ice build-up, and precipitation to air traffic control. Recordings of radio communications captured the escalating crisis on board, with Nathalia's voice expressing alarm as the situation spiralled beyond control.
The pilots declared an emergency as the aircraft began losing altitude rapidly, with reports indicating it was descending at a rate of 10,000 feet per minute. Despite efforts to control the plane, it crashed onto a multi-lane highway in Florida, leaving a scene of fire and wreckage across the road. Fortunately, no one on the ground was injured.
Dashcam footage captured the harrowing moments before and after the impact, showing the moment the jet crashed. The aircraft had been flying through a turbulent area, with ice build-up and precipitation contributing to the tragic events. Nathalia's voice was heard in the recordings, expressing concern as the situation worsened.
The young woman who had worked tirelessly to build a career in aviation since her school days died while doing the very thing she had dreamed of her whole life. Nathalia would have turned 21 in January, and her death has left a void in the aviation community.
Key points
- A 20-year-old co-pilot sent a text to her boyfriend 10 minutes before the crash, describing turbulence and ice on board.
- The co-pilot, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, had accumulated over 1,300 hours of flying experience.
- The Learjet 60 crash in Florida killed all nine people on board, with no injuries reported on the ground.
