“I WISH I HAD BEEN SITTING BESIDE HER” — FATHER OF 20-YEAR-OLD PILOT NATHALIA FILGUEIRAS BREAKS DOWN RECALLING HER FINAL MOMENTS IN DEADLY FLORIDA JET CRASH

The father of 20-year-old pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras has spoken publicly for the first time about the devastating loss of his daughter, sharing emotional memories of the young woman he once taught to fly and describing the courage he believes she showed during the final moments of a fatal aircraft emergency.

Allan Filgueiras, himself an experienced pilot, appeared at a news conference on November 6, 2026, alongside the family’s attorney.

Fighting back emotion, he spoke about the extraordinary bond he shared with Nathalia, their common love of aviation and the painful reality of losing a daughter whose future had seemed so full of possibilities.

But among his most heartbreaking reflections was the thought that he wished he could have been sitting beside her in the cockpit when the aircraft encountered trouble.

“I wish I had been there with her,” he said, expressing the pain of knowing that his daughter had faced those frightening moments without him by her side.

For Allan, Nathalia was not simply a talented young pilot. She was his daughter, his companion in the skies and someone whose passion for flying had brought them closer together.

A FATHER’S GIFT THAT BECAME HIS DAUGHTER’S LIFE PASSION

Nathalia’s journey into aviation began when she was just 12 years old.

Her father introduced her to flying, sharing with her the world that had become such an important part of his own life.

What began as an opportunity to experience aviation alongside her father quickly developed into a genuine passion.

Nathalia was determined to pursue that passion professionally.

At just 17, while still in high school, she earned her pilot’s licence — an achievement that marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey.

By the time of her death, she had reportedly accumulated more than 1,300 flight hours.

For a young woman who had started learning to fly as a child, those hours represented years of commitment, practice and determination.

Allan remembered how their relationship gradually changed as his daughter became more experienced.

Initially, he was the one teaching her.

But as Nathalia developed her skills and knowledge, the roles eventually began to reverse.

She became so knowledgeable that she was able to teach him.

It was a source of enormous pride for a father who had watched his daughter grow from an enthusiastic young student into a professional aviator.

“I WOULD PAY TO FLY — AND THEY ARE PAYING ME!”

One of Allan’s most treasured memories was Nathalia’s excitement about being able to earn a living doing something she genuinely loved.

He recalled how she once expressed amazement that people were actually paying her to fly.

For Nathalia, aviation was never simply a job.

It was something she would happily have paid to experience.

That enthusiasm remained one of the defining characteristics her father remembered about her.

She had worked towards her ambitions from an early age, and reaching the cockpit of a professional aircraft was a dream she had taken seriously.

Her father said she was passionate, determined and deeply committed to the career she had chosen.

Now, those memories have become even more precious to a family struggling to accept that her journey ended at just 20 years old.

HER FATHER LISTENED TO HER FINAL RADIO TRANSMISSIONS REPEATEDLY

During the November 6 news conference, Allan revealed that he had repeatedly listened to the final radio communications between his daughter and air traffic control.

He was trying to understand what had happened during the aircraft’s final moments.

Listening to the recordings was undoubtedly painful, but he said he was struck by how composed Nathalia appeared while the situation was deteriorating.

He described his daughter as tough and said she continued fighting until the very end.

For Allan, the way she handled the emergency demonstrated the determination and professionalism he had always admired in her.

He praised her actions as heroic.

The recordings have also attracted considerable public attention, with aviation enthusiasts and members of the public examining the communications in an attempt to understand the developing emergency.

However, the precise sequence of events and the cause of the crash remain matters for investigators to establish.

HER FAMILY DEFENDS HER EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Following the crash, questions circulated online about how someone so young could be serving as co-pilot aboard a Learjet 60.

The family’s attorney addressed those discussions during the news conference, emphasizing that Nathalia’s age should not overshadow her professional training and experience.

Her reported flight history included more than 1,300 hours in the air, alongside the qualifications and aircraft-specific training required for her role.

Her family wants the public to understand that she had worked hard to reach the position she held.

They also expressed concern that online speculation could reduce her entire life and career to the fact that she was only 20.

For Allan, the most important thing is that people remember his daughter for what she accomplished, how much she loved aviation and the person she was beyond the cockpit.

She was a young woman who had pursued her dream with determination — and a daughter who meant everything to her family.

“I HAVE TO KEEP GOING FOR MY FAMILY”

Perhaps the most difficult part of Allan’s appearance came when he spoke about what life would look like without Nathalia.

He described the pain of losing his daughter as something he could barely put into words.

But he also explained that he must find the strength to continue living for his wife and their three other children.

He knows that Nathalia would not want to see him give up.

Instead, he wants to find a way to keep moving forward and make her proud.

His words reflected the difficult position many grieving parents face: trying to carry on for the people who remain while living with the absence of someone they can never replace.

The family is now left with memories of the young woman who once sat beside her father learning to fly, gradually developing the skills to become an accomplished pilot herself.

THE FINAL FLIGHT THAT TOOK NINE LIVES

Nathalia was serving as co-pilot aboard a Learjet 60 that crashed near Greenacres in Palm Beach County, Florida, on November 1, 2026.

The aircraft was travelling from Austin, Texas, towards the Bahamas when it encountered serious difficulties.

There were nine people aboard, including Nathalia and the captain, Jeff Gregory, 55.

All nine people lost their lives in the crash.

A person on the ground was also injured.

Reports surrounding the aircraft’s final communications indicated that the crew encountered dangerous conditions, with icing and turbulence among the issues being examined.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident to determine exactly what happened.

Although early reports have drawn attention to the aircraft’s reported difficulties, the official cause has not yet been established.

For the families of those aboard, the investigation is only one part of an enormous personal tragedy.

A FATHER’S LOVE THAT WILL NEVER LEAVE THE SKIES

As Allan continues to grieve, his memories of Nathalia remain closely connected to the passion they shared.

He remembers introducing her to flying when she was 12.

He remembers watching her earn her licence at 17.

He remembers the excitement in her voice when she realised she could make a career out of something she loved so deeply.

And he remembers how proud he felt when the little girl he once taught became skilled enough to teach him.

Now, the cockpit that once brought father and daughter together has become the setting of his most painful memories.

He cannot change what happened on November 1. He cannot return to those final moments or sit beside his daughter as he wishes he could have done.

But he can continue telling her story.

Not simply as the story of a young co-pilot lost in a terrible aircraft accident, but as the story of a daughter who followed her dream, worked tirelessly and brought immense pride to the people who loved her.

At just 20, Nathalia’s life was cut tragically short.

Her father now faces the difficult task of learning to live with that loss while keeping her memory alive.

She once learned to fly beside her father. Now he must find the strength to carry on without her.