Her family says flying was her greatest passion. Federal investigators are now working to find out why the jet plunged from 35,000 feet in Greenacres.
GREENACRES, Fla. Nathalia Filgueiras was 20 years old and, her family says, in the right seat of the Learjet 60 that fell from the sky onto a Palm Beach County roadway on Sunday, killing all nine people aboard.
Her father, Allan Filgueiras, confirmed her identity to NBC6. Her sister, Giulia, told the station the family is Brazilian, that Nathalia learned to fly from their father, who is also a pilot, and that flying was her greatest passion.
The business jet crashed around 12:50 p.m. ET Sunday in Greenacres, about 7 miles southwest of West Palm Beach, near South Military Trail and 10th Avenue North. It was bound for the Bahamas from Austin, Texas, according to the FAA. The impact left a fiery crater just feet from homes and inches from passing vehicles.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking at the scene in heavy rain, said, “It looked like a missile going down.” About 600 residents of a nearby mobile home park were evacuated. The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that one person on the ground, a man in a vehicle leaving the area, suffered a leg injury.
What Investigators Know So Far
At about 12:47 p.m., the crew told controllers it was encountering light clear ice and moderate turbulence at 35,000 feet, with altitude deviations of about 700 feet, the NTSB said. The outside temperature was minus 47 degrees Celsius. On air traffic control audio, a voice from the cockpit said, “We’re managing the ice, but it is moderate turbulence.”
The crew then asked to climb 2,000 feet. Moments later, the plane entered a steep dive, according to air traffic recordings and flight tracking data. The NTSB said it entered an overspeed condition and began descending rapidly. Descent rates climbed from 10,000 to 20,000 feet per minute, and later, as high as 30,000, the Associated Press reported. A mayday call went out before the aircraft banked sharply right and struck the ground.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called it a “horrific tragedy.” An FAA spokesperson said, “The NTSB is in charge of the investigation and will provide all updates.” About 20 NTSB investigators are on scene. Rain was falling across South Florida, and a flood watch was in effect.
The cause is unknown. An aviation expert told CBS12 that thunderstorms could have been a factor. Investigators haven’t said so.
A Teenager Who Could Fly Before She Could Drive
Filgueiras, who grew up in Palm Beach County and attended West Boca Raton High School, earned her private pilot’s license at 17, before she had a driver’s license. CBS12 interviewed her in October 2023. She had begun ground school in 2020 and logged 88 hours of flight time. The Palm Beach County school district paid for her license through its Aviation Academy.
She told CBS12 she liked bragging about it: when people said she couldn’t drive, she answered, “yeah but I can fly.” Her dream, the station reported, was to become an airline pilot or to fly jets.
What We Don’t Know
Who else was aboard. Authorities hadn’t identified the other eight victims in the coverage I reviewed.
Her role and experience. Authorities haven’t released Filgueiras’s certificates, flight hours or duties on the flight.
Who was speaking on the radio. Social media has circulated claims about whose voice is on the recordings, and about her age and experience. No authority has confirmed any of it, and I’m not repeating the claims here.
The NTSB is leading the investigation. Its investigators typically publish a preliminary report within weeks and a final report after a year or more.
According to The Sun, Texas technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson was travelling with his wife Helen and their two children, alongside two friends and a nanny.
The newspaper has also identified the aircraft's captain as 55-year-old Jeff Gregory. Authorities have not yet publicly confirmed the full passenger list. So these identities remain based on media reporting.
Reactions to Nathalia Filgueiras’ Death
One commenter praised her achievement on Instagram, writing:
“Incredible achievement… May God rest her soul in peace.. and give her parents strength to handle this.”
Another commenter reflected on how much she had accomplished at such a young age:
“To achieve so much, so young - she was destined for greatness. Absolute tragedy to have a story like that cut short. No words.”
One person focused on the final moments of the flight:
“Devastating, especially hearing the audio. RIP to all nine victims. Must have been a horrific final minute.”
Another commenter said Nathalia’s composure during the air traffic control recording left a lasting impression:
“I listened to the full ATC, and what stood out was her professionalism, calm, and focus till the end. Now knowing that she was only 20, makes it more impressive to me what I heard over the comms. She sounded experienced and older; no doubt she would’ve gone on the be an amazing airline pilot. RIP.”
One commenter questioned the minimum age for professional driving compared with flying:
“Wait...20yrs old to fly a jet, but you have to be 21 for a CDL.”
Another person felt the recording should not be publicly available:
“I wish the voice recording was taken down...for the families sake.”
A commenter praised her handling of the radio:
“Co pilot in charge of the radio. She did a great job under pressure.”
Not everyone was comfortable with a 20-year-old serving as a pilot or co-pilot. One person wrote:
“I wouldn't get in a plane flown or co-pilotrd by a 20 year old.”
Another commenter questioned whether anything could have prevented the crash:
“No amount of experience was going to save this aircraft...”
