20-Year-Old Copilot Among Nine Killed In Deadly Florida Jet Crash

A 20-year-old co-pilot, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, has been identified among nine people killed when a private Learjet 60 crashed and burst into flames in a residential neighbourhood in South Florida, United States, on Sunday.

Filgueiras, an aspiring commercial airline pilot, reportedly earned her private pilot’s licence at the age of 17, while still a high school student in Palm Beach County.

The aircraft was travelling from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it crashed near Cresthaven, Florida, around 12:50 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

All nine people aboard the aircraft were killed in the incident, while one person on the ground sustained a leg injury.

US media reports identified Filgueiras as one of the two crew members aboard the aircraft. Her mother, Camila Corteleti, confirmed her death, describing her daughter’s passion for aviation and flying.

“She loved the freedom. It was completely different seeing the world from the top,” Corteleti told The New York Times.

Filgueiras first attracted public attention in 2023 when she obtained her private pilot’s licence at 17 while attending West Boca Raton High School.

In an interview with CBS12 at the time, she spoke about the unusual achievement of being able to fly an aircraft before obtaining a driver’s licence.

“I definitely do brag because people say, ‘Oh, you can’t drive,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I can fly,’” she said.

She reportedly began flying lessons in 2020 and accumulated 88 hours of flight time while pursuing her private pilot’s licence through the School District of Palm Beach County’s Aviation Academy.

Filgueiras later graduated from American Flyers, a flight school with locations in Texas and Florida, as she worked towards her ambition of becoming a commercial airline pilot.

In another social media post cited by The Palm Beach Post, she shared a video of herself flying with her boyfriend, Justin, highlighting their aviation qualifications at a young age.

“How often do you see 2 pilots under 21 with a commercial, multi-engine, instrument, CFI/CFI-I,” she wrote, referring to their aviation certifications and instructor ratings.

Meanwhile, a Texas couple and their two young children were also among those killed in the crash.

The husband was identified in media reports as an Austin-based technology entrepreneur, while his wife was a potter and owner of a public relations company.

Their identities had not been formally released as of the time of filing, with authorities reportedly yet to complete the notification of their families.

One of the victims’ fathers confirmed the deaths of his daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren to The Palm Beach Post.

“It’s quite a blow,” the 70-year-old father told the publication. “We had a daughter, her husband and two grandchildren on the plane.”

Preliminary information from the investigation indicates that the aircraft encountered icing and moderate turbulence shortly before the crash.

According to air traffic control recordings obtained by The Associated Press, a member of the flight crew informed controllers that the aircraft was experiencing ice accumulation and turbulence.

“We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” the pilot reportedly said.

The crew subsequently requested permission to climb to a higher altitude before declaring an emergency as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude.

“We’re descending 8,000 — mayday, mayday — we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” a pilot radioed.

“We are in an overspeed condition, descending 20,000 feet per minute,” the pilot reportedly added before warning, “We’re going to crash into the ground.”

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Tom Chapman said the aircraft began descending less than 30 seconds after the crew requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet.

He said the transmission subsequently became unintelligible, adding that, “Sadly, all aboard were lost.”

The NTSB said it would investigate the possible contribution of ice accumulation and turbulence to the crash, as well as whether human error played any role.

Officials also disclosed that debris from the aircraft was scattered across sports fields, businesses and residential properties, raising questions about whether the jet broke apart before hitting the ground.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the incident as “cataclysmic”, while US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called it a “horrific tragedy”.

Describing footage of the crash, DeSantis said: “When you see that video, it’s a jarring thing. It’s like a missile coming down, and a massive explosion, debris going everywhere.”

The crash occurred along Military Trail, a six-lane road surrounded by businesses and restaurants, prompting the evacuation of approximately 600 residents from a nearby mobile home community.

Thunderstorms were also reported in the area around the time of the incident.

The NTSB and FAA have commenced investigations into the crash, with investigators working alongside representatives of Learjet, meteorologists and air traffic control experts.

The NTSB is also seeking to establish whether a cockpit voice recorder was installed aboard the aircraft and whether it can be recovered.

Air safety investigator Timothy Monville described the recovery of the wreckage from the crash site as a “daunting challenge”.

The NTSB said determining the probable cause of the crash would require a lengthy investigation.