Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, died on Sunday when the Learjet she was co-piloting with Jeff Gregory, 55, lost control and plummeted tens of thousands of feet before crashing near West Palm Beach, Florida. The jet exploded in a fiery blaze, killing all nine occupants and leaving behind a crater and debris scattered over a half-mile.
Federal authorities are investigating the crash, with officials from the National Transportation Safety Board believing severe weather played a significant role. They also noted that part of the jet appeared to have broken off in the moments before impact.
Filgueiras' former flight instructor, Chris Kirk, remembered her as an exceptionally talented pilot. "Without a doubt the most naturally gifted pilot I have ever taught, and I have been teaching for 40 years," Kirk posted on Facebook. He recounted how Filgueiras achieved her Pilot-in-Command type rating for the Learjet with less than 1,100 flight hours, impressing the examiner who estimated she had around 5,000 hours.
Kirk emphasized Filgueiras' passion for flying, contrasting her with some other trainees. "Nathalia was PASSIONATE about flying!!! She was a 100 percent natural born pilot!!!" he wrote.
Distressing cockpit audio revealed Filgueiras reporting moderate turbulence before her tone shifted to panic. She informed air traffic control, "Seven two two bravo delta, we're descending 8,000... mayday mayday... we're descending 10,000ft per minute." The transmission continued with her reporting an "overspeed condition" and a descent rate of "20,000ft per minute," concluding with a final scream, "We're out of time."
Filgueiras had also communicated with her pilot boyfriend, reportedly texting about experiencing turbulence and ice before the crash.
Among the other victims were tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, and their two young children, Emma and Charlie. They were traveling with their nanny, Anita Maria Cetina, and a couple, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, for Robinson's birthday.
In a joint statement, the families remembered Robinson and Sharp as devoted parents, and Reed and Fehr as individuals full of joy and adventure. Cetina was described as having cared for the children with tenderness and devotion.