Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a 20-year-old pilot who earned her licence while still at school, was among nine people killed when a Learjet crashed in Florida.
Her mother, Camila Corteleti, told the New York Post and The New York Times that Filgueiras was co-piloting the Learjet 60 when it went down on Sunday, November 1. The aircraft had departed Austin, Texas, and was heading to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
She earned her pilot’s licence at 17
Filgueiras obtained her private pilot’s licence in 2023, when she was a senior at West Boca Raton Community High School. Local television coverage at the time reported that she had earned the licence before getting her driver’s licence.
In that interview, she joked about the unusual order of her achievements: some people found it strange that she could fly a plane but could not drive a car.
The Palm Beach County school district funded her licence through its aviation academy, where students train using flight simulators and drones. The Associated Press reported that her licence qualified her to fly the Learjet, but not to command the flight.
Filgueiras grew up in Palm Beach County. Her early interest in aviation and achievement at such a young age had brought her local attention before the crash.
What is known about the crash
The Learjet crashed in a residential area near Cresthaven in Palm Beach County at about 12:50 p.m. local time. All nine people aboard died, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The crew had reported turbulence and icing before the aircraft began a rapid descent, according to reports based on air traffic control recordings. Investigators have not established what caused the crash.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. The NTSB is leading the inquiry and will provide updates as information becomes available.
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