Mother of 20-year-old co-pilot in Florida Learjet crash says she ‘predicted’ her daughter’s death
20-year-old aspiring pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras has been identified as one of the nine people killed when a private jet crashed in Florida on Sunday. Now, her mother has broken her silence, claiming she had predicted her daughter’s death.
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras was serving as co-pilot aboard the Learjet 60, which was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it plunged to the ground in Palm Beach County.
The aircraft crashed in a residential area near Greenacres shortly before 1 p.m., erupting into a huge fireball. All nine on board, including seven passengers, a family of four, and two crew members, lost their lives.
Authorities have identified the pilot as 55-year-old Jeff Gregory. And now, the mother of Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras announced via The Palm Beach Post that her daughter, a co-pilot, was also killed in the crash.
Nathalia, 20, had gotten her pilot license while still in high school, and even before she got her driver’s license. Her sister, Guilia Filgueiras, spoke to the Palm Beach Post, saying Nathalia was “an amazing girl.”
“She always followed her dream, she showed any girl could do what it takes,” the sister said. “She was really brave and fought until the last moment she could.”
As more details about the young pilot emerge, it’s clear flying was more than a job for her. It was a dream she had worked toward since childhood.
Mother of co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, speaks out amid plane crash
According to the NY Post, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, who would have turned 21 in January, had worked as a commercial pilot for about nine months. She had already logged approximately 1,300 hours of flight time.
Nathalia began her aviation training at the Aviation and Aerospace Academy at West Boca Raton High School before completing her flight training at American Flyers in Pompano Beach.
Nathalia later continued her training and became a flight instructor. Her ambition was to become an airline pilot one day. In a previous interview with local television station CBS12, she spoke proudly about learning to fly before she had even obtained her driver’s license.
“I definitely do brag because people say, ‘Oh, you can’t drive,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I can fly,’” she told CBS12.
Following the deadly accident, Nathalia’s mother has also broken her silence. Camila Gadelha Corteleti described her daughter Nathalia as a responsible and hardworking young woman.
“She was a very good girl – responsible, hardworking,” her mother told CNN Brasil.
Nathalia’s mother further spoke about her daughter in an interview with the NY Post, saying that she wanted her daughter to “live her dream.”
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras‘ mother claimed she ‘predicted’ her daughter’s death
However, meanwhile, Camila claimed to have already known that her daughter would die in a plane crash if she’d become a pilot.
“I knew that her dream was going to be the thing that would take her away from me,” Camila told the NY Post. “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.”
Camila added, “I know if she could pick a way to go, this would be her way to go, but I didn’t want it to be so soon.”
In the CNN interview, Nathalia’s mother added that her daughter was the co-pilot and not in a position to make decisions about the flight. In the moments before the crash, the aircraft’s crew reported ice accumulation and moderate turbulence.
According to audio between air traffic control and Nathalia onboard the plane, the situation quickly worsened. The pilot reported that the aircraft was losing altitude at an alarming rate before declaring an emergency.
The Learjet eventually crashed near Greenacres, killing all nine people aboard
National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation continues
Federal investigators are now working to establish exactly what happened. The National Transportation Safety Board has said there are indications that the aircraft may have started breaking apart before hitting the ground.
Weather conditions, including the reported icing and turbulence, are among the factors the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is examining. On Monday, the NTSB said the plane may have broken up before hitting the ground at high speed, per Reuters.
“The weather conditions are a major focus of the investigation, “NTSB board member Tom Chapman said. “We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact. We may find parts of the aircraft some distance away from the actual impact site.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the plane crash in Florida. May they rest in peace.
