The copilot aboard a Learjet 60 that crashed into a South Florida neighborhood, killing all nine people on board, has been identified as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha. Gadelha had earned her private pilot's license at 17 years old.
The aircraft was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it plummeted into a residential area in Palm Beach County shortly after departure, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Air traffic control recordings captured by LiveATC.net indicate that the flight crew reported encountering ice accumulation and turbulence shortly before the aircraft began losing altitude rapidly.
"We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence," a pilot communicated to controllers. The crew subsequently declared an emergency, reporting an "overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute" before stating, "We're going to crash into the ground."
Gadelha, who grew up in Palm Beach County, had been taking flying lessons since 2020 and received additional instruction from her father. She told local news outlets in 2023 that she hoped to become a commercial airline pilot. She had also shared social media posts highlighting her and her boyfriend's aviation accomplishments, noting they were both pilots under 21 with multiple certifications.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the crash as "cataclysmic." The incident forced the evacuation of approximately 600 residents from a nearby mobile home community. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the cause of the crash, with an update expected from NTSB officials. No cause has been determined as of Sunday afternoon.