A 20-year-old aviator who obtained her pilot’s licence while still in high school was serving as co-pilot aboard a business jet that crashed in Florida, killing all nine people on board, according to a report by the New York Post on Monday.
Family members identified her as Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, telling the newspaper that she had worked as a commercial pilot for nine months and accumulated 1,300 flight hours.
Filgueiras first attracted attention in Palm Beach County in 2023, when she earned her private pilot’s licence at the age of 17, before obtaining a driver’s licence.
Jet plunged rapidly before residential-area crash
The Learjet 60 had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was heading to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it entered a steep descent.
The aircraft reportedly lost altitude at a rate exceeding 20,000 feet (6,096 metres) per minute before crashing into a residential area near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County at approximately 12.50 pm local time (1750 GMT) on Sunday.
All nine people aboard were killed.
Air traffic control recordings from the moments before the crash captured reports from the cockpit of moderate turbulence and atmospheric icing, with outside temperatures falling to -47°C. The recordings then captured an emergency Mayday call as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude.
Investigators caution against speculation
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the crash.
Speaking at a news conference, NTSB member Tom Chapman said investigators would not draw conclusions about the cause while working at the crash site.
"We will not be determining the probable cause of the crash while we're here on scene, nor will we speculate about the cause," Chapman said.
"These are the first steps in a lengthy investigatory process," he added.
Asked about the 20-year-old co-pilot, Chapman said investigators had not yet established the relevant details and would seek to determine them as the investigation progresses.
Meanwhile, citing sources close to the family, TMZ reported that the victims included 44-year-old Austin technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen, their two children, two close friends and the children's nanny. That account has not been independently confirmed.
