The 20-year-old co-pilot who died aboard the Learjet 60 that crashed in South Florida has been identified as Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a young aviator whose passion for flying began years before she entered the cockpit professionally.

Filgueiras was one of nine people killed when the private jet plunged into a residential area near Greenacres in Palm Beach County on November 1, 2026. The aircraft was traveling from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas when it entered a catastrophic descent and struck the ground.

Her mother and stepfather confirmed her identity to the New York Post, while other family members also spoke publicly about the young pilot’s career and ambitions.

The tragedy has drawn particular attention to Filgueiras because she achieved a milestone many aspiring pilots spend years working toward: she earned her private pilot’s license at just 17, while still attending high school.

A DREAM OF FLYING THAT STARTED IN HIGH SCHOOL
Filgueiras grew up in Palm Beach County, Florida, and developed an interest in aviation at an early age.

Her journey toward becoming a pilot began in 2020, when she started ground school while attending West Boca Raton High School.

She also received guidance from her father, Allan Filgueiras, who had learned to fly recreationally.

In 2023, local television coverage introduced her as a 17-year-old student who had already earned her private pilot’s license. At the time, she had accumulated 88 flight hours.

Her training was supported through the School District of Palm Beach County’s Aviation Academy, which helped fund her aviation education.

During that earlier interview, Filgueiras spoke enthusiastically about the unusual position she had reached for someone her age.

She joked that although people told her she could not drive, she could fly.

Her confidence and determination were evident. She said she enjoyed doing something different from other students and hoped to build a professional future in aviation.

That ambition eventually became her career.

SHE HAD BEEN WORKING AS A COMMERCIAL PILOT FOR NINE MONTHS
According to her family, Filgueiras had been working as a commercial pilot for approximately nine months before the crash.

Her stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, told the New York Post that she had accumulated around 1,300 hours of flying experience.

She reportedly earned her commercial pilot’s license on March 19, 2026, and held qualifications covering single-engine and multi-engine aircraft, as well as instrument flying.

She also attended American Flyers, a flight school with locations in Florida and Texas, and had experience as a flight instructor.

Her goal was to continue advancing in aviation and eventually become an airline pilot.

A social media post cited in reports showed her celebrating her aviation achievements alongside her boyfriend, Justin. She highlighted the fact that both were young pilots with commercial, multi-engine, instrument and flight-instructor qualifications.

For someone who had started learning about aviation as a teenager, the progress represented years of dedication.

Now, her family is left grieving a future that had seemed full of possibility.

HER FINAL MESSAGE REPORTEDLY MENTIONED TURBULENCE AND ICE
One of the most heartbreaking details to emerge after the crash concerns a text message Filgueiras reportedly sent to her boyfriend shortly before the aircraft went down.

According to her stepfather, she contacted him approximately 10 minutes before the crash.

The message reportedly said:

“I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice.”

The brief communication has attracted considerable attention because the flight crew had also reported icing and moderate turbulence to air traffic control before the emergency began.

The aircraft was traveling at approximately 35,000 feet when the crew discussed the weather conditions and requested a change in altitude.

In radio communications, a pilot reported light, clear ice that was considered manageable, along with moderate turbulence.

However, the situation rapidly deteriorated.

The crew subsequently declared an emergency and reported an extreme descent rate. Radio recordings captured urgent Mayday calls, with the pilot warning that the aircraft was descending thousands of feet per minute.

One of the most disturbing transmissions included the words:

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

The final reported cockpit communication included another chilling statement:

“We’re out of time.”

The available information does not establish exactly what Filgueiras was doing at every moment during the emergency or identify which crew member made each transmission. However, reports indicate that her voice was heard in the air traffic control communications.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LEARJET?
The Learjet 60 had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.

At approximately 12:50 p.m. on November 1, the aircraft crashed near Military Trail and Cresthaven Boulevard in Greenacres, Florida.

The impact created a large crater and triggered a major fire. Video from the area showed the aircraft descending steeply before striking the ground.

All nine people aboard were killed.

The National Transportation Safety Board has since provided an important preliminary detail: investigators have indications that the aircraft may have started breaking apart before hitting the ground.

NTSB member Tom Chapman said investigators expected to find pieces of the aircraft some distance from the main impact site.

The agency also identified weather as a major focus of the investigation.

That does not mean icing has been established as the cause. Investigators must determine whether weather conditions contributed to the emergency, whether a mechanical or structural problem occurred, and how the aircraft entered such an extreme descent.

The aircraft’s wreckage, flight information, maintenance records and communications will all be important in reconstructing the final moments.

OTHER VICTIMS INCLUDED A FAMILY WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN
Filgueiras was not the only young person aboard the aircraft.

Relatives confirmed that Austin technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp and their two children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were also among the nine victims.

The family’s nanny, Anita Maria Apellido Cetina, and two friends, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, were also aboard.

The other crew member was identified as pilot Jeff Gregory.

The loss of the family and their two young children has added to the heartbreak surrounding the crash.

Relatives shared tributes describing Adam and Helen as devoted parents whose warmth and generosity touched many people. Friends and family members also remembered Rachael and Charmi for their close relationship and love of adventure.

The nine victims were aboard the same flight when the aircraft crashed in Palm Beach County.

HER MOTHER’S HEARTBREAKING WORDS
Filgueiras’ mother, Camila, spoke about the loss of her daughter and the difficult emotions surrounding her career in aviation.

She said she had always feared that flying might one day take her daughter away, even as she felt proud of the life Nathalia had chosen.

Her mother also expressed the painful realization that her daughter had been living her dream.

The family described Filgueiras as hardworking, responsible and deeply committed to aviation.

Her stepfather said she had developed her skills through years of training and had built substantial flying experience at an unusually young age.

For her family, the tragedy is not simply the loss of a young pilot. It is the loss of a daughter whose future had been shaped by a passion she pursued from childhood.

NTSB INVESTIGATION CONTINUES AS FAMILIES SEEK ANSWERS
The NTSB and FAA are investigating the crash.

Among the central questions are why the Learjet entered such a rapid descent, whether the aircraft began breaking apart while still airborne, and what role the reported icing and turbulence may have played.

Investigators will examine the aircraft’s maintenance history, flight data, weather conditions, engine and control systems, and the physical evidence recovered from the crash site.

The early findings are not a final determination of the cause. A complete investigation will be needed before authorities can explain what happened.

For now, the identification of Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras has given a name and a personal story to one of the nine lives lost.

She was 20 years old, had earned her first pilot’s license at 17 and was already working toward a future as a professional airline pilot.

Her final reported message about turbulence and ice has become one of the most haunting details of the disaster.

Her family is left with memories of a young woman who loved flying. Investigators are left with the difficult task of determining why the aircraft never reached its destination.