20-YEAR-OLD COPILOT NATHALIA FILGUEIRAS AMONG NINE KILLED IN FLORIDA LEARJET CRASH — FINAL TRANSMISSION: “WE’RE OUT OF TIME”

The young aviator earned her pilot’s license at just 17 and had accumulated more than 1,300 flight hours. Her family is now mourning a life and aviation career cut tragically short.

A 20-year-old pilot who earned her license while still in high school has been identified as one of nine people killed when a private jet crashed into a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras was serving as the co-pilot aboard a Learjet 60 traveling from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas when the aircraft went down shortly before 12:50 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Her mother, Camila Gadelha Corteleti, identified her daughter as a member of the flight crew in interviews with news organizations. The aircraft crashed near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, in the area near Greenacres and Lake Worth Beach, killing all nine people aboard.

The tragedy has shocked the aviation community and devastated the families of those on board. =

SHE EARNED HER PILOT’S LICENSE AT JUST 17

Nathalia’s passion for aviation began when she was a child.

Her father, who enjoyed flying recreationally, introduced her to the world of aircraft. By the time she was 12, she was already interested in following in his footsteps.

She began taking aviation-related classes in 2020, determined to pursue a career in the skies.

In October 2023, while attending West Boca Raton Community High School, Nathalia earned her private pilot’s license at just 17 years old through the school’s aviation academy.

At the time, she had already logged approximately 88 flight hours — before she had even obtained her driver’s license.

Her achievement attracted attention from local media. In an interview with CBS12, she joked about the unusual situation of being able to fly an aircraft before driving a car.

“Some people think that it’s weird that I can fly planes, but I can’t drive a car,” she said. “I think it’s funny.”

By the time of the crash, her mother said Nathalia had accumulated more than 1,300 flight hours and had been working as a commercial pilot for approximately nine months.

Her pilot qualifications allowed her to fly the Learjet 60, although records indicate she was not qualified to serve as pilot in command of that flight.

THE FINAL RADIO TRANSMISSIONS BEFORE THE CRASH

The Learjet had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at approximately 10:37 a.m. and was heading toward North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

During the flight, the crew reported encountering moderate turbulence, precipitation and ice accumulation.

Air traffic control recordings captured the increasingly urgent communications as the aircraft began losing altitude rapidly.

A pilot reported that the plane was descending at thousands of feet per minute before declaring an emergency.

“Mayday, mayday,” the pilot said, reporting a descent rate that continued to increase.

The crew later reported an overspeed condition and warned that the aircraft was heading toward the ground.

One of the most haunting reported transmissions was:

“We’re going to crash into the ground.”

The final reported words from the cockpit included:

“We’re out of time.”

Air traffic controllers attempted to communicate with the aircraft, but contact was lost.

INVESTIGATORS EXAMINE WHETHER THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN BREAKING APART

The Learjet crashed near a residential community, erupting into flames and leaving a large crater in the roadway.

All nine people aboard were killed. A nearby motorist also suffered a leg injury, according to investigators.

At a news conference on November 2, National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said investigators were examining whether the aircraft had begun breaking apart before hitting the ground.

Weather is a major focus of the investigation. Officials said the aircraft encountered a developing thunderstorm shortly before the crash, after the crew had reported rain, icing and turbulence.

Investigators are also trying to determine whether a cockpit voice recorder was still installed on the aircraft and whether it can be recovered.

However, the NTSB emphasized that the investigation is in its early stages. No probable cause has been determined, and officials have not established whether weather, mechanical issues or another factor caused the crash.

It also remains unclear who was physically at the controls during the final moments. There is no confirmed evidence that Nathalia was the pilot speaking in the recorded emergency transmissions.

THE OTHER VICTIMS ALSO HAD FAMILIES AND STORIES

As Nathalia’s identity emerged, more details became available about the other people who lost their lives.

Among the passengers were technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two young children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2.

Anita Maria Cetina, who helped care for the children, was also among those killed.

The other identified victims included Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr. The identity of the second pilot had not been publicly disclosed in the Associated Press report.

The families of the seven passengers released a statement expressing their grief and offering condolences to the families of the two pilots.

Each person aboard the aircraft had a family, relationships and a life beyond the flight that ended in tragedy.

A YOUNG AVIATOR WHOSE FUTURE WAS FULL OF PROMISE

For Nathalia’s family, the loss is especially painful because of how much she had already achieved at such a young age.

She had discovered her passion early, worked toward her qualifications and built a career around something she loved.

At only 20, she had already accumulated more than a thousand hours in the air and was working toward a future in aviation.

Now, her family is left grieving a daughter whose ambitions and possibilities were cut short.

The NTSB investigation continues as officials work to establish exactly what happened during the Learjet’s final minutes.

May Nathalia and all eight other victims rest in peace. Their lives were more than the final moments of a flight, and their families deserve compassion as they face an unimaginable loss.