Nov 6 – The father of a 20-year-old co-pilot who died alongside eight other people in a Learjet crash in South Florida is defending his daughter’s professional qualifications and reputation, saying her final communications with air traffic controllers demonstrated remarkable composure during an unfolding emergency.
Allan Filgueiras, an experienced pilot who introduced his daughter, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, to aviation and helped train her from an early age, said Friday that he has repeatedly listened to recordings of her final radio transmissions. Although the recordings have intensified his grief, he said they have also given him a sense of pride in the way she responded as the aircraft rapidly lost control.
The Learjet crashed Sunday, killing everyone aboard. Among the victims were Nathalia, the aircraft’s co-pilot, and its captain, 55-year-old Jeff Gregory. The circumstances surrounding the disaster remain under investigation, with aviation authorities examining the aircraft’s final movements and searching for evidence that could explain what went wrong.
Speaking at a news conference, Allan Filgueiras struggled to contain his emotions as he described his daughter’s actions during the final moments of the flight. He said he wished he could have been inside the aircraft to help her, particularly as the emergency developed and the plane began its rapid descent.
“I wanted to be by her side. Inside the plane, to help,” he said.
Despite the devastating circumstances, he said her response had shown him a level of courage he had not expected to witness. He described her as determined and praised her for continuing to communicate with air traffic control while facing an increasingly dangerous situation.
“She showed me what it is to be a hero,” he said, adding that even highly trained individuals could struggle to maintain their composure under comparable pressure.
For the family, however, the loss remains overwhelming. Speaking in Spanish, Allan Filgueiras described the emotional impact of losing his daughter, saying the tragedy felt like having his heart ripped from his chest.
“I have to find a way to go on living,” he said.
The recordings of the final communications have become an important part of understanding the aircraft’s last moments. They also offer a glimpse into the emergency Nathalia and the captain were facing as the Learjet encountered severe weather conditions.
Final Radio Calls Highlight Co-Pilot’s Response as Aircraft Plunged Toward Ground
According to the recorded communications, Nathalia initially informed air traffic controllers that ice was accumulating on the aircraft as it flew into a thunderstorm. The situation became increasingly unstable as turbulence caused the Learjet to move sharply up and down, with altitude fluctuations reaching approximately 700 feet (200 meters).
The aircraft subsequently entered a dangerous descent, accelerating beyond its normal operating limits. As the emergency intensified, Nathalia continued providing information to air traffic control.
In one of the final transmissions, she urgently reported the aircraft’s condition, saying: “Declare an emergency 722-Bravo-Delta. We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute!”
The reported descent rate of 20,000 feet per minute illustrated the severity of the situation. Aviation experts and members of Nathalia’s family have praised her ability to communicate critical information despite the rapidly deteriorating conditions.
The captain, Jeff Gregory, is believed to have been operating the aircraft at the time. However, investigators have not established the precise sequence of events that led to the crash or determined whether any mechanical, environmental or operational factors contributed to the disaster.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is leading the investigation, has not announced an official cause.
Investigators have been examining the wreckage and collecting evidence from the crash location, where the aircraft struck the ground and left a deep crater near a roadway. The force of the impact scattered debris across the surrounding area.
Parts of the Learjet’s tail section were discovered several miles from the main crash site, indicating the extent of the destruction. Investigators also recovered part of an engine on Thursday and continued searching the area on Friday for additional components and evidence.
One of the most important pieces of evidence, the cockpit voice recorder, remained missing as the search continued. Its recovery could provide investigators with additional information about conversations inside the cockpit, the crew’s response to the emergency and the aircraft’s final moments.
The NTSB’s investigation is expected to examine the aircraft’s performance, flight data, weather conditions, maintenance history and the actions taken by the flight crew. Until that work is completed, the cause of the crash remains undetermined.
Family and Aviation Mentor Reject Questions About Her Experience
Alongside their grief, Nathalia’s relatives have also been forced to address criticism circulating online about her age and professional experience.
Some social media users have questioned whether a 20-year-old pilot had sufficient experience to serve as co-pilot aboard a high-performance business jet such as the Learjet 60. Her family has strongly rejected those suggestions, arguing that she earned her position through formal qualifications, extensive training and demonstrated ability.
According to her family and representatives, Nathalia had accumulated more than 1,300 flight hours. She had also completed the training and certification requirements necessary to obtain her commercial pilot’s licence and qualify to operate as a Learjet co-pilot.
Her father’s attorney, Stuart Grossman, said the news conference was organised partly to protect her professional standing and ensure that speculation about her qualifications did not overshadow her achievements.
Grossman said Nathalia had consistently performed at a high level throughout her education and aviation training. He maintained that her age should not be used to question whether she was qualified for the position she held.
“She was at the top of her class in everything that she did, and she was perfectly qualified to be the co-pilot on this flight, despite her tender years,” Grossman said.
He added that the family did not have immediate plans to pursue legal action.
Nathalia’s aviation journey began when her father first took her flying at the age of 12. Allan Filgueiras said he played an important role in introducing her to the profession and helping her develop the skills needed to pursue a career in the cockpit.
What began as an early interest eventually became her professional ambition. After securing employment as a pilot, Nathalia told her father that she could hardly believe she was earning a living doing something she loved.
He described flying as the happiest part of her life and said she had always been enthusiastic about her work.
Her mentor and flight instructor, Chris Kirk, also defended her qualifications, describing her career progress as the result of considerable effort and dedication.
Kirk said Nathalia had earned her position through long hours of training, persistence and a willingness to work hard. He recalled her Learjet 60 check ride in March, during which the examiner was reportedly so impressed with her performance that he believed she had accumulated more than 5,000 flight hours.
That estimate was nearly four times her actual recorded experience, according to Kirk.
He also pointed to her final radio communications as evidence of her professionalism. The information she provided during the emergency offered investigators important details about the aircraft’s condition and behaviour before the crash.
Kirk said maintaining that level of composure under such extreme circumstances would be difficult even for highly experienced individuals, including military personnel with demanding operational backgrounds.
Describing Nathalia as an exceptional person, he said her actions demonstrated a level of professionalism that few people could maintain under such extraordinary pressure.
Retired airline pilot John Cox, who began his own professional aviation career at 19, also previously defended her appointment. Cox, who now operates the aviation consulting company Safety Operating Systems, said Nathalia’s position in the right seat of a Learjet 60 reflected the confidence her employers had placed in her abilities.
He explained that obtaining a co-pilot position on such an aircraft required demonstrating the necessary skills and impressing those responsible for evaluating a pilot’s performance.
Cox also noted that Nathalia appeared to have genuinely enjoyed her profession.
The crash claimed the lives of nine people in total, including several members of a family travelling aboard the aircraft. Among the victims were technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, and their two young children.
The family’s nanny, Ana María Ramírez Cetina, was also killed.
The remaining victims were identified as Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, who owned the Arca Boutique Hotel in Honduras.
As investigators continue examining the wreckage and searching for the missing cockpit recorder, Nathalia’s family is left dealing with the loss while defending the career she worked hard to establish.
For her father, the recordings of the final radio calls remain both painful and deeply personal. He said listening to his daughter’s voice brings back the tragedy, but also reinforces his belief that she remained committed to her responsibilities until the very end.