A 20-year-old co-pilot who had pursued a career in aviation since her teenage years was among nine people killed when a private Learjet crashed in Florida. Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras was aboard the Learjet 60 travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it went down near Greenacres in Palm Beach County on Sunday, 1 November.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has since revealed that investigators found indications the aircraft may have started breaking apart before striking the ground. Weather conditions are also under examination after the crew reported icing and moderate turbulence during the flight.
Filgueiras had also reportedly sent her boyfriend a message about the conditions shortly before the disaster. Officials have not established what caused the crash.
Nathalia Filgueiras Reported Ice And Turbulence Before Learjet Crash
According to her stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, Filgueiras sent a message to her boyfriend, who is also a pilot, at approximately 12.40pm on Sunday. She reportedly wrote, 'I've got turbulence, I've got ice', around 10 minutes before the aircraft crashed.
Corteleti shared details of the exchange with the New York Post, as reported by Hindustan Times. The message has attracted attention because the conditions it described also featured in the crew's communications with air traffic controllers. However, it does not establish what caused the aircraft to lose control.
Recordings of the radio communications show the crew initially describing light clear icing as manageable, alongside moderate turbulence. The aircraft was cruising at approximately 35,000 feet when the pilots reported altitude variations of up to 700 feet.
The crew subsequently encountered precipitation and requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet. Air traffic control approved the request, but the situation deteriorated rapidly. Less than 30 seconds later, the crew reported a rapid descent and issued a mayday call.
The radio transmissions recorded increasingly alarming descent rates. One communication reported a descent of 10,000 feet per minute, followed by a warning that the aircraft was descending at 20,000 feet per minute while experiencing an overspeed condition.
Moments afterwards, a pilot said, 'We're going to crash into the ground'. Further communications recorded the aircraft descending even faster as the emergency unfolded.
NTSB Investigates Possible Midair Breakup And Learjet Structural Damage
NTSB board member Tom Chapman said investigators had found indications that the aircraft began breaking apart before impact. He cautioned that the investigation was still at an early stage and that the precise sequence of events had not been established.
The possibility of an in-flight breakup means investigators may need to search beyond the immediate impact site for aircraft debris. Former NTSB and FAA investigator Jeff Guzzetti suggested that damage to key parts of the tail could have affected the pilots' ability to control the aircraft.
This remains an expert assessment, not a confirmed finding about the Learjet.
The aircraft was operated by Aurora Aviation, doing business as Upper Jet. The FAA confirmed that the NTSB would lead the investigation.
Investigators are also seeking to recover the cockpit voice recorder. Maintenance records indicate that one had been installed, but officials have not confirmed whether it was still aboard when the aircraft crashed. Heavy rainfall has complicated access to the main wreckage, with water collecting inside the impact crater.
Nathalia Filgueiras Earned Pilot Licence At 17
Filgueiras began pursuing aviation while still at school in Florida. She earned her pilot's licence in 2023, when she was a 17-year-old student at West Boca Raton Community High School.
Her mother said Filgueiras had been working as a commercial pilot for approximately nine months. Her pilot credentials also showed that she held the necessary rating to fly the Learjet model involved in the accident, although she was not qualified to serve as the pilot in command.
Her mother, Camila Corteleti, spoke about her daughter's commitment to flying in an interview with CNN Brasil. She described her as responsible and hardworking, while explaining that Nathalia had been pursuing the career she wanted.
Among the passengers were technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their children Emma, aged four, and Charlie, aged two, along with family friends and a caregiver.
The crash also affected people living near the impact site. A person travelling in a vehicle sustained a leg injury, while around 600 residents from the surrounding area were displaced as emergency crews and investigators worked through the debris field. Local officials said there was no immediate timeline for everyone to return home.
The NTSB investigation remains ongoing, with aircraft structure, crew communications and mechanical systems all requiring examination.
