“I KNEW A PLANE WOULD TAKE HER FROM ME”: MOTHER MOURNS 20-YEAR-OLD COPILOT KILLED IN FLORIDA JET 𝔠r𝘢sh

Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras had spent years pursuing her dream of becoming a pilot. Her family says she was still messaging her boyfriend about turbulence and ice just 10 minutes before the Learjet 60 plunged to the ground in Palm Beach County, 𝘬iᩚlling all nine people aboard.

The mother of 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her daughter, who was among nine people killed when a Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on November 1.

In a heartbreaking statement, Nathalia’s mother, Camila, said she had always feared that flying might one day take her daughter away.

“I knew a plane would take her from me. I always knew,” she said, according to The New York Post. Despite that fear, she said she was incredibly proud of Nathalia and knew her daughter had been living her dream.

Nathalia was serving as the aircraft’s co-pilot when the jet went down near Greenacres, Florida, during a flight from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.

All nine people aboard — seven passengers and two crew members — lost their lives.

A FINAL MESSAGE JUST 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE 𝔠r𝘢sh

According to Nathalia’s stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, 44, the young pilot was still in contact with loved ones shortly before the aircraft crashed.

Corteleti told The New York Post that Nathalia had sent a message to her boyfriend at approximately 12:40 p.m. The 𝔠r𝘢sh occurred around 12:50 p.m.

Her message reportedly contained just a few words about the conditions she was experiencing:

“I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice.”

Those words would become one of the last known messages she sent to her loved ones.

A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAD BUILT HER LIFE AROUND FLYING

Nathalia had pursued aviation from an early age. She attended flight school, later worked as a flight instructor and eventually began her career as a commercial pilot.

Her family said she had accumulated approximately 1,300 flight hours and had been working as a commercial pilot for nine months.

She had earned her pilot’s license while still a teenager and had appeared in local media reports about her achievements.

Nathalia was expected to celebrate her 21st birthday in January 2027.

For her family, her career represented years of determination and the fulfillment of a dream she had worked hard to achieve.

THE FINAL RADIO CALLS BEFORE THE LEARJET WENT DOWN

Air traffic control recordings captured the crew reporting icing and moderate turbulence as the aircraft traveled at approximately 35,000 feet.

The situation deteriorated rapidly.

The crew reported accumulating ice and precipitation before requesting permission to climb to a higher altitude. Less than 30 seconds after the request was approved, the aircraft began descending at an alarming rate.

A Mayday call followed.

In the final moments, radio communications described an increasingly desperate situation, with the crew reporting an extreme rate of descent and warning that the aircraft was going to 𝔠r𝘢sh.

One of the final transmissions was reported as: “We’re out of time.”

The Learjet then plunged toward the ground and crashed in Greenacres, leaving a devastating scene. The National Transportation Safety Board has been investigating the circumstances surrounding the disaster, including weather conditions, icing and possible structural problems.

A FAMILY LEFT WITH PRIDE, LOVE AND HEARTBREAK

For Camila, the loss is made even more painful by knowing how much her daughter loved flying.

She had feared that aviation could one day bring tᩚraɢedy, yet she had also watched Nathalia pursue the career that made her happy.

Her daughter was only 20, with a future she had worked so hard to build.

Now, the family is left remembering a young woman who had already achieved so much and who was doing what she loved until the very end.

May Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras and all eight other victims of the Palm Beach County 𝔠r𝘢sh rest in peace. 🕊️