Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a 20-year-old commercial pilot from Florida, was one of the copilots aboard the private jet that crashed in Palm Beach County on Sunday, according to information provided by her mother to several media outlets. All nine people on board died in the accident.
Filgueiras obtained her pilot’s license at 17 while still in high school and had logged more than 1,300 flight hours, according to The New York Times. Her mother said she had worked as a commercial pilot for nine months and was due to turn 21 in January. She had been interested in flying since childhood, following the example of her father, a recreational pilot.
The Learjet 60, which can carry about seven passengers and two pilots, was traveling from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. It crashed at around 12:50 p.m. near Military Trail, a major local road, leaving a large crater at the intersection with 10th Avenue North. The site is about 11 kilometers southwest of West Palm Beach and approximately 14 kilometers from Mar-a-Lago.
Authorities had not released the identities of the other victims or determined the cause of the crash by Monday morning. No injuries were reported on the ground. However, the impact blocked the entrance to a nearby mobile-home community, and Palm Beach County officials said they were preparing two shelters for residents who might need to relocate.
Military Trail remains closed, and officials said recovery work could take at least a month. Classes at a nearby high school were also suspended.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described video of the crash as “shocking,” saying the aircraft appeared to fall like a missile before a major explosion scattered debris. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation and said it would provide further information on Monday.
The area experienced heavy rain and thunderstorms on Sunday, according to the weather service. In the aircraft’s final communications with Miami air traffic control, a woman reported that the crew was dealing with icing and moderate turbulence. Less than a minute later, the voice reported a rapid descent of 3,000 meters per minute and issued a Mayday call. Seconds afterward, she said the descent had reached 6,000 meters per minute before shouting that the aircraft was going to crash into the ground.
Sources: El País Portada.