Who Was Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras? 20-Year-Old Brazilian-American Pilot’s Dream Career Cut Short In Florida Crash

Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a 20-year-old co-pilot, was flying a Learjet 60 that crashed and burst into flames in South Florida on Sunday while travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas. Newly released air traffic control audio captured her desperate calls for help moments before the aircraft plunged to the ground.

Filgueiras’ mother, Camila, and her stepfather confirmed to The New York Post that she was serving as the co-pilot on the flight when the aircraft entered a steep nosedive over Palm Beach County. The jet reportedly descended at more than 20,000 feet per minute before crashing.

The young pilot, who would have celebrated her 21st birthday in January, had been working as a commercial pilot for nine months. Her mother said she had always supported her daughter’s ambition despite fearing that her career in aviation could eventually take her life.

“I wanted her to live her dream, but I knew that her dream was going to be the thing that would take her away from me,” Camila said from her home in Palm Beach County.

“I knew that a plane was gonna take her away from me. I always knew it but I was so proud of her. I know she was living her dream,” she added.

Her stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, 44, told The Post that Filgueiras had accumulated 1,300 hours of flying experience.

According to Corteleti, she had also texted her boyfriend, Justin, approximately 10 minutes before the crash, informing him about the difficult flying conditions.

“She just said, ‘I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice,’” he recalled.

Speaking to CNN Brasil, Filgueiras’ mother, Camila Gadelha Corteleti, described her daughter as a responsible and hardworking young woman who was not in a position to make decisions about the flight.

“She was a very good girl – responsible, hard-working…She was the co-pilot and couldn’t make any decisions,” she said.

Young Pilot Earned Licence At 17

Filgueiras had developed an interest in aviation at an early age and earned her pilot’s licence in 2023, when she was a 17-year-old senior at West Boca Raton Community High School, according to local media reports.

Her achievement had previously attracted attention from local news outlets because she obtained her private pilot’s licence before even getting her driver’s licence.

Her family is originally from Brazil but lives in Florida. Despite her young age, Filgueiras had already built considerable flying experience and was pursuing her ambition of becoming a professional pilot.

Air Traffic Control Audio Captures Co-Pilot’s Final Distress Calls

The air traffic control recording, captured by LiveATC.net, provides a glimpse into the aircraft’s final moments. During the communication, Filgueiras reported ice accumulating on the Learjet, while the outside air temperature was around -47 degrees Celsius.

She also informed air traffic control about moderate turbulence that caused the aircraft to bounce up and down by as much as 700 feet.

The situation quickly deteriorated as the aircraft began losing altitude at an alarming rate.

Moments before the crash, Filgueiras could be heard urgently shouting, “Mayday, mayday!”

She then reported, “We’re descending 10,000 feet per minute!”

As the aircraft continued its rapid descent, she warned air traffic control about an overspeed condition and the possibility of an imminent crash.

“We are in an overspeed condition, descending 20,000 feet per minute…We’re going to crash into the ground,” she yelled.

Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange subsequently showed that the Learjet 60 plunged approximately 27,000 feet in just one minute before striking the ground in Palm Beach County on Sunday afternoon.