Gadelha's father sparked her passion for aviation before she died in Florida jet crash

Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, was identified by multiple reports as the co-pilot who died in a Learjet 60 crash in Palm Beach County on Sunday, Nov. 1. All nine people aboard the aircraft were killed in the incident, which occurred near a residential neighborhood.

The aircraft departed Austin, Texas, bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. It crashed around 12:50 p.m. on Nov. 1 near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in the Cresthaven area. The crash site is located approximately eight miles from President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.

Gadelha earned her private pilot’s license in October 2023 at age 17, which was before she received her driver’s license. She trained through the School District of Palm Beach County’s Aviation Academy while attending West Boca Raton High School. Her father introduced her to aviation around 2020, and she later graduated from American Flyers flight school.

The crew reported encountering precipitation, moderate turbulence, and icing conditions prior to the crash. Flight data indicated the jet entered a rapid descent. The NTSB is leading the investigation with assistance from the FAA. Investigators are examining the wreckage, flight data, maintenance records, weather conditions, and cockpit communications. No injuries were reported among people on the ground.

Local officials and the FAA have not publicly released the names of the other eight victims. Gadelha had shared her ambition to fly commercial airliners or private charter jets on social media. The investigation aims to determine the probable cause of the accident based on the collected evidence.