Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, the co-pilot in a Learjet crash that killed nine people near West Palm Beach, Florida, obtained her pilot's license at the age of 17. She learned to fly from her father, who is a recreational pilot.
Filgueiras' mother, Camila Corteleti, told The New York Times that her daughter was at the controls of the Learjet 60 when it plummeted to the ground on Sunday. The aircraft was en route from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas. Federal authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. Officials identified Filgueiras as the co-pilot, but the identities of the other eight passengers have not yet been released.
Filgueiras' mother also shared with the New York Post that her daughter "loved the freedom" of flying and that she had secured her pilot's license before learning to drive. "I knew that a plane was gonna take her away from me. I always knew it but I was so proud of her. I know she was living her dream," Corteleti stated.
Filgueiras grew up in Palm Beach County and had previously been featured in a local media report in October 2023, discussing her pilot's license. "I definitely do brag because people say, 'oh you can't drive,' and I'm like, 'yeah but I can fly,'" she told CBS12 at the time. She mentioned that she aimed to be different and found it cool that she could fly planes before driving cars.
Her training included ground school, which involves two to three years of theory and flight simulations, along with 40 hours of dual instruction and 10 hours of solo piloting. Filgueiras worked for Upper Jets, a private charter firm based in Fort Lauderdale.
Social media posts showed Filgueiras celebrating her flying achievements, including a photograph of a plane's wing over clouds, captioned by her father, Allan Gilgueiras, as "a proud dad of a super pilot." Her aunt, Tamara Filgueiras, also expressed pride, calling both Filgueiras and her father "super pilots."
Authorities are investigating the incident, which occurred near President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago country club. Initial speculation from aviation experts suggests the possibility of the aircraft encountering "coffin corner," a phenomenon where the jet's minimum and maximum safe speeds converge at high altitudes, making control difficult. Stormy weather was also mentioned as a potential factor. The $2 million jet crashed in Greenacres, Palm Beach County, leaving a large crater in the road and damaging nearby infrastructure. Horrifying audio captured the co-pilot reciting the Lord's Prayer in the final moments before impact.