The co-pilot killed in Sunday’s catastrophic Learjet crash in South Florida has been identified by her family.
According to the New York Post, the co-pilot is Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, a flying phenom who was among nine people aboard the Learjet 60 when it plunged into Palm Beach County shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday.
Everyone aboard was killed when the aircraft slammed into the ground near Military Trail in the Greenacres area, leaving a massive crater. The business jet had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was traveling to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
Gadelha’s mother and stepfather identified the young aviator as one of the victims, although authorities had not publicly identified all nine victims Monday. Her death brought renewed attention to the remarkable aviation career she had already built despite being only 20 years old.
Gadelha earned her private pilot’s license at 17 while attending West Boca Raton High School, even before obtaining her driver’s license. She began ground school in 2020 and also learned about aviation from her father, who had taken up flying recreationally.
The Palm Beach County School District’s Aviation Academy helped finance her private pilot training while she remained a high school student. By September 2023, Gadelha had earned her private pilot’s license after accumulating approximately 88 hours of flight time.
