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20-year-old co-pilot revealed what people found 'weird' about her flying planes in interview before tragic Learjet crash
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A 20-year-old commercial co-pilot who died when a Learjet 60 plunged into the ground in Palm Beach County, Florida, previously spoke about what people found "weird" about her flying planes.
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras earned her private pilot license when she was just 17 years old, mastering the controls of an airplane well before she ever received her driver's license.
The young aviator was flying from Austin, Texas, toward the Bahamas on Sunday afternoon when the private jet suffered a catastrophic dive, falling at speeds exceeding 20,000 feet per minute.
Filgueiras was heard pleading for emergency assistance over air traffic control frequencies moments before the twin-engine aircraft crashed in a residential neighborhood in Greenacres.
Her mother, Camila, and stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, confirmed her identity following the crash, which took the lives of all nine people on board.
Before stepping into commercial flight decks, Filgueiras drew local attention as a high school senior at West Boca Raton High School in October 2023.
At the time, she openly laughed about how her peers reacted to her unusual situation, pointing out the contrast between commanding aircraft in the sky and lacking basic driving privileges on the ground.
Taking flight before hitting the road
The aviator started formal flight training in 2020 after initially learning about aviation alongside her father, who took up recreational flying in 2018 in a Beechcraft Bonanza.
While her classmates focused on basic driving tests, Filgueiras earned her private license with support from the School District of Palm Beach County Aviation Academy program.
"I definitely do brag because people say, 'Oh, you can't drive,' and I'm like, 'Yeah, but I can fly,'" she told CBS12 in an interview at the time.
Her unconventional timeline often caught friends and family off guard. She acknowledged that the dynamic felt strange to observers, though she took pride in following a non-traditional route into aviation.
"I like being different than everyone, so to me I think it's cool that it's not really an opportunity," Filgueiras said.
"I just didn't do it, and this is how it ended up. But I think it's cool. Some people think that it's weird that I can fly planes, but I can't drive a car, I mean I can but, a lot of people think it's funny. I think it's funny, and I now want my [driver's] license really bad," she added.
Pursuing a lifelong dream in aviation
Filgueiras built an impressive resume in the years that followed her first license, graduating from the American Flyers flight training academy in Pompano Beach, Florida.
She worked as an instructor in Fort Lauderdale, compiled roughly 1,300 hours in the cockpit, and spent nine months working as a commercial pilot.
Her long-term goal was to fly for major passenger carriers, including American Airlines, once she reached the required age.
Her family initially felt nervous about the dangerous aspects of the career path. When she first announced her intentions after a flight with her father, her mother hesitated.
"One day after flying with him, she came home, and we were in our room, and she walked in, and she said, 'I'm gonna be a pilot' and I said, 'No, you won't," Camila said.
"Thiago looked at me, and said, 'If that's what she wants to be, she will be a pilot,' and I was like, 'No she won't,'" she said.
Her family also remembered how much employers valued her skills.
"Everybody was so impressed with her. They hired her because they knew how good she was and how much she loved it," Camila said.
Just ten minutes before the fatal descent on Sunday, Filgueiras sent a message to her boyfriend, Justin, warning about harsh flight conditions. Corteleti recalled the brief communication.
"She just said, 'I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice,'" Corteleti said.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board continue to examine the wreckage site in Greenacres to establish what caused the sudden plunge.
While mourning the loss, her mother spoke of the dedication her daughter brought to every flight.
"I wanted her to live her dream, but I knew that her dream was going to be the thing that would take her away from me," Camila said from her home in Palm Beach County.
"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," she said.
"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," she added.