Nathalia Filgueiras Final Text Reveals Terrifying Moments Before Learjet Crash

A 20-year-old co-pilot reportedly sent her boyfriend a chilling message about turbulence and ice just 10 minutes before the private jet she was aboard plunged into the ground in Florida, killing all nine people on board. Her final reported words have now emerged as investigators examine the aircraft’s terrifying final moments.

Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras had dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood and earned her licence while still in high school. Her family says she was living the career she had worked so hard to achieve, making the circumstances surrounding her death even more heartbreaking.

Nathalia Filgueiras Sent Her Boyfriend A Chilling Final Text

Filgueiras reportedly contacted her boyfriend, Justin, at approximately 12:40 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, while travelling aboard a Learjet 60 from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. According to her stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, the young co-pilot described the conditions the aircraft was experiencing during the flight.

“She just said, ‘I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice,’” Corteleti told the New York Post.

The message reportedly arrived around 10 minutes before the aircraft crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida. Justin is also a pilot, and the couple had previously shared photographs and videos showing them flying together. Their shared interest in aviation had become part of their relationship, making the reported exchange particularly painful for those who knew them.

However, the family account of the message has not been independently authenticated. Its timing comes from Corteleti’s recollection, and the private text itself has not been verified by the news outlet reporting the story. Investigators have also not established whether the conditions described in the message contributed to the eventual disaster.

There is, however, an official record of the flight crew reporting difficult weather conditions shortly before the crash. During a November 2 briefing, National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman said the pilots reported light clear icing and moderate turbulence to air traffic controllers at approximately 12:47 p.m.

The crew initially described the accumulation of ice as manageable while flying at 35,000 feet. They subsequently requested permission to climb higher, suggesting that the conditions were becoming a concern during the journey. Those recorded communications are now an important part of the investigation.

The Learjet’s Final Radio Calls Captured A Terrifying Emergency

The Learjet 60 was carrying nine people when the situation deteriorated rapidly. Two pilots and seven passengers were aboard the private aircraft, which was travelling towards the Bahamas when the emergency unfolded above Florida.

According to the NTSB’s preliminary account, the crew reported precipitation and requested permission to climb from 35,000 feet to 37,000 feet. Air traffic controllers approved the request, but less than 30 seconds later, the aircraft’s situation changed dramatically.

A transmission indicated that the aircraft was descending, followed by a mayday call. The crew then reported an overspeed condition as the Learjet continued losing altitude at an alarming rate.

Recordings of the final communications have circulated in media reports, offering a disturbing account of the emergency inside the cockpit. The transmissions included warnings about the aircraft’s rapidly accelerating descent and the crew’s apparent inability to regain control.

One reported transmission described the aircraft descending at approximately 10,000 feet per minute before another communication indicated a descent of around 20,000 feet per minute. The situation was deteriorating with extraordinary speed, leaving the pilots with little time to respond.

The audio also reportedly captured Captain Jeff Gregory, 55, reciting the Lord’s Prayer during the emergency. A female voice, identified by Filgueiras’ family as Nathalia’s, could be heard warning that the aircraft was going to crash.

The New York Post reported that her mother confirmed Nathalia was the co-pilot heard in the recording. However, investigators have not publicly established which pilot was controlling the aircraft when the emergency reached its final stage.

The aircraft struck the ground at approximately 12:51 p.m., according to Chapman’s briefing. It crashed into a roadway near a residential area, leaving a large crater and scattering wreckage across the surrounding location. All nine people aboard were killed.

She Earned Her Pilot’s Licence At Just 17 Years Old

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One of the most remarkable details about Filgueiras’ life was how young she was when she achieved her aviation ambitions. Growing up in Palm Beach County, Florida, she had wanted to become a pilot since childhood and was introduced to flying through her father, who enjoyed recreational aviation.

Her family recalled that she became interested in the profession after experiencing a flight with him in a small Beechcraft Bonanza. Her mother, Camila Corteleti, remembered the moment her daughter announced what she wanted to do with her future.

According to Camila, Nathalia came home after flying with her father and announced that she was going to become a pilot. Her mother initially doubted the ambition, but her stepfather, Thiago, encouraged the young girl to pursue what she wanted.

That early determination eventually developed into years of flying lessons and training. Filgueiras began pilot lessons in 2020, and by October 2023, she had obtained her private pilot’s licence at just 17 years old.

She was still attending West Boca Raton Community High School when she achieved the milestone. Her accomplishment attracted attention from local media because most teenagers her age were only beginning to learn how to drive.

In an interview with CBS 12, she openly joked about the unusual situation and explained why she enjoyed having an aviation qualification at such a young age.

“I definitely do brag because people say, ‘Oh, you can’t drive,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I can fly,’” she said.

The young pilot also spoke about how she enjoyed being different from other teenagers. She explained that some people found it unusual that she could fly aircraft while still working towards obtaining her driving licence, but she found the situation amusing.

Her training was reportedly supported by the School District of Palm Beach County’s Aviation Academy, which paid for her pilot’s licence after introducing the programme in 2023. The opportunity helped her take another significant step towards the career she had imagined since childhood.

Filgueiras Had Already Logged Approximately 1,300 Flying Hours

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Her achievements did not stop with obtaining a private pilot’s licence as a teenager. Filgueiras continued building her experience and qualifications, eventually accumulating approximately 1,300 flying hours, according to her stepfather.

She had obtained commercial, multi-engine and instrument qualifications, alongside certifications that allowed her to work as a flight instructor. Her family described her as hardworking and deeply committed to developing her aviation skills.

After earning her initial qualifications, she reportedly worked as an instructor at a flying school in the Fort Lauderdale area. She later secured another aviation position, eventually working for a company identified by her family as Upper Jets.

At the time of the Florida crash, she had reportedly been working as a commercial pilot for approximately nine months. Despite her relatively short professional career, her family said she had already impressed people in the aviation industry with her abilities and enthusiasm.

Her mother told the New York Post that people who worked with Nathalia recognised how much she loved flying. She also described how proud she was of her daughter’s achievements and the dedication she had shown throughout her training.

Filgueiras was months away from turning 21, and her ambition was to eventually become a commercial airline pilot. According to her family, she was still too young to apply for a position with American Airlines.

A recent social media video also showed her flying alongside her boyfriend, Justin. In the post, she highlighted the unusual qualifications held by the young couple, pointing out that both were pilots under 21 with commercial and advanced aviation certifications.

The post offered a glimpse into the life she had built around flying. Aviation had been part of her identity for years, and she appeared proud of how far she had progressed before reaching her twenty-first birthday.

Her Mother’s Heartbreaking Words Reveal The Risks She Feared

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For Filgueiras’ family, the tragedy has brought an especially painful reality. The activity that had given their daughter so much happiness was also connected to the circumstances of her death.

Speaking to the New York Times, her mother described how much Nathalia loved being in the air and the freedom she associated with flying. She recalled that seeing the world from above gave her daughter a completely different perspective.

“She loved the freedom,” Camila Corteleti told the publication. “It was completely different seeing the world from the top.”

Her mother also spoke about the conflicting emotions she experienced while watching her daughter pursue aviation. Although she was proud of Nathalia’s determination, she admitted that she had always worried about the dangers associated with the profession.

“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 told the New York Post.

She continued by explaining that she had feared losing her daughter in an aircraft accident, even while supporting the career that made her happy. Her words reveal how difficult it was to reconcile those fears with Nathalia’s determination to become a professional pilot.

“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.

Her family had frequently shared photographs and videos of their aviation experiences on social media. Those posts now provide a glimpse into the passion that shaped much of Nathalia’s young life and the ambitions she was still working towards.

Seven Passengers Also Lost Their Lives In The Florida Crash

Filgueiras and Captain Jeff Gregory were among the nine people killed in the disaster. The passengers included Texas technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson and his wife, ceramic artist Helen Sharp.

Their two young children, Emma and Charlie, were also aboard the aircraft. The family was travelling alongside their nanny, Anita Maria Cetina, and family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.

The group had been travelling from Texas towards the Bahamas when the Learjet went down in Palm Beach County. The impact created a large crater in a roadway near a residential area, and the resulting fire destroyed much of the aircraft.

The deaths left several families mourning loved ones, including two young children who were travelling with their parents. The disaster also affected the families of the pilots, who were responsible for operating the aircraft during the journey.

The victims’ families subsequently released statements identifying those who had died and expressing their grief over the loss. Filgueiras’ relatives also spoke about her ambitions and the aviation career she had worked so hard to establish.

For those who knew the young co-pilot, her death came after years of watching her develop from a teenager taking flying lessons into a commercial pilot. Her achievements had made her family proud, and she had been working towards an even bigger future in aviation.

Investigators Are Examining Ice, Turbulence And Possible Aircraft Breakup

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, with the Federal Aviation Administration also involved. Investigators are examining the aircraft’s communications, weather conditions and physical wreckage to establish what happened during its final moments.

The reported presence of ice has attracted particular attention following the emergence of Filgueiras’ final text. However, officials have not established that icing or turbulence caused the crash, and several aspects of the aircraft’s sudden descent remain unexplained.

The investigation is examining several important areas:

• Icing conditions: The crew reported light clear icing during the flight, and investigators are examining the weather conditions experienced by the aircraft.
• Moderate turbulence: Pilots communicated turbulence while flying at approximately 35,000 feet, before requesting permission to climb higher.
• Rapid descent: The aircraft reportedly entered a steep descent, with the crew communicating an overspeed condition during the emergency.
• Possible structural breakup: NTSB member Tom Chapman said investigators had some indication that the aircraft was breaking apart before impact.
• Cockpit voice recorder: Investigators are checking whether the recorder listed in maintenance records was actually aboard the aircraft.

Chapman also explained that the wreckage had been scattered across a wide area. This has raised questions about the sequence of events during the aircraft’s descent and whether structural problems developed before it struck the ground.

Investigators are also working to recover the main wreckage from the crater created by the impact. Accumulated rainwater has complicated the recovery operation, adding another challenge to an already complex investigation.

Another unresolved question concerns the cockpit voice recorder. Maintenance records reportedly indicated that one had been installed, but investigators are still checking whether it was aboard the aircraft during the fatal flight.

The NTSB has not announced a probable cause, and the investigation remains open under case number ERA27MA026. Officials will need to examine the available evidence before reaching conclusions about the events that led to the disaster.

A Promising Aviation Career Was Cut Short At 20

Filgueiras had achieved something many aspiring pilots spend years working towards. She earned her licence as a teenager, accumulated approximately 1,300 flying hours and secured professional work before reaching her twenty-first birthday.

Her reported final message has become one of the most haunting details surrounding the Florida disaster. The words recalled by her stepfather also offer a glimpse into the difficult conditions the aircraft was reportedly experiencing shortly before the crash.

For her family, however, the loss goes far beyond the circumstances of the accident. They have lost a daughter who knew what she wanted from an early age and spent years working towards making that ambition a reality.

The investigation may eventually explain what happened during those final minutes above Florida. For now, her family’s memories of the young woman who loved flying remain alongside the unanswered questions surrounding the crash.

Featured Image from Threads @itsnatfilg