“THAT YOUNG LADY WAS BORN TO FLY!” — 20-YEAR-OLD PILOT NATHALIA FILGUEIRAS REMEMBERED IN HEARTBREAKING TRIBUTE FROM HER INSTRUCTOR OF 40 YEARS

A gifted young pilot whose passion for aviation began long before she entered the cockpit is being remembered by the instructor who helped guide her first steps in the sky.

Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras was just 20 years old when she died in the crash of a Learjet 60 in Palm Beach County, Florida, on November 1, 2026. Now, her former flight instructor, Chris Kirk, is paying tribute to the young woman he says was one of the most naturally talented pilots he had ever taught.

After four decades of training aspiring aviators, Kirk said Nathalia stood out from every student he had encountered.

“She was without a doubt the most naturally gifted pilot I have ever taught,” he wrote in a social media tribute. “That young lady was born to fly!”

A STUDENT WHO IMPRESSED EVEN EXPERIENCED EXAMINERS

Kirk, who described himself as one of Nathalia’s first instructors and mentors, recalled how consistently she impressed examiners during her flight tests.

She earned her pilot’s license while still in high school — before she had even obtained her driver’s license.

One achievement particularly impressed her mentor. Kirk said Nathalia had fewer than 1,100 flight hours when she completed her Learjet pilot-in-command type-rating training. Despite her relatively young age and experience, she performed so well that the examiner reportedly thought she had around 5,000 hours.

Kirk also gave her opportunities to fly different types of aircraft, including tailwheel airplanes and a Cessna Caravan.

He remembered their training for her flight-instructor qualification, when they performed so many aerobatic spins that he began to feel nauseated. For him, the memory captured just how much Nathalia loved being in the air.

FLYING WAS MORE THAN A CAREER

Kirk emphasized that Nathalia was not simply pursuing aviation as a way to build a lucrative career. She genuinely loved flying.

He said her enthusiasm, natural ability and dedication made her different from many students he had encountered throughout his career.

His tribute also comes as questions and online discussion have emerged about her age and experience. In an interview with PEOPLE, Kirk defended her abilities, describing her as a capable and enthusiastic aviator. He also stressed that investigators, not speculation, must determine what happened during the aircraft’s final flight.

THE FINAL FLIGHT

On Sunday, November 1, Nathalia was serving as co-pilot aboard a Learjet 60 traveling from Texas toward the Bahamas.

The aircraft crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people aboard. The victims included Nathalia, the senior pilot, and seven passengers.

During the flight, the crew encountered difficult weather conditions, including turbulence and reported icing. Radio communications captured increasingly urgent emergency calls as the aircraft descended rapidly.

Nathalia warned air traffic control that the plane was in serious trouble and reported an extremely rapid descent. Her final communications are now among the details that may help investigators reconstruct the aircraft’s last moments.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. No final cause has been established, and the available information should not be treated as a definitive explanation of why the aircraft went down.

A MENTOR’S HEARTBREAK

For Kirk, the loss is deeply personal. He did not remember Nathalia merely as another student who passed through his flight training. He remembered a young woman whose talent and love of aviation made an extraordinary impression on him.

His words — “That young lady was born to fly!” — have become a moving tribute to a life and career cut short far too soon.

Nathalia was only 20, but she had already achieved a dream that many people spend a lifetime pursuing. Those who knew her now hope she will be remembered not only for the tragic crash, but also for her determination, her passion and the remarkable promise she showed in the skies.

May Nathalia and all those who lost their lives in the crash rest in peace.