Nathalie, a pilot who died in a plane crash while still in school

Nathalie Gadelha Filgueras, 20, has been identified as the co-pilot of the Learjet killed in a deadly plane crash in Florida, USA. She had received her pilot's license at the age of 17, while still in school, and had been working as a commercial pilot for just nine months.

A Learjet-60 aircraft en route from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday afternoon (November 1) local time. The aircraft lost control in mid-air and began descending at a speed of more than 20,000 feet per minute. It then hit the ground and burst into flames. All nine people on board were killed in the crash.

Natalia's mother Camila and stepfather Thiago Cortelletti confirmed her death to the New York Post. Natalia, who was due to turn 21 in January, had nearly 1,300 hours of flying experience.

Thiago Cortelletti said that Nathalie had sent a message to her boyfriend Justin just 10 minutes before the crash, in which she reported problems with shaking and icing on the plane.

"I wanted her to fulfill her dream," said Camila, a mother grieving over her daughter's death. "But I knew that one day that dream would take her away from me. I always knew that one day a plane would take her away from me." 

Growing up in Palm Beach County, Nathalia dreamed of becoming a pilot since she was a child. Her father taught her to fly as a hobby in 2018. She developed an interest in flying while flying in her father's small plane.

Nathalia began pilot training in 2020. In October 2023, she received her private pilot's license at the age of 17. At that time, she did not have a driver's license. In an interview with local media outlet CBS12, she said, "When people say I can't drive, I say yes, but I can fly."

Nathalia, a student at West Boca Raton High School, later began working as an instructor at a flight school in Florida. She then got a job as a commercial pilot. Her dream was to one day become a pilot for American Airlines.

Mother Camilla said that everyone was impressed by Natalia's skills and love for her work. She knew that flying was her daughter's favorite profession. But she never wanted to lose her so soon.

Source: New York Post