GREENACRES, Florida — A 20-year-old female pilot was among the nine people killed when a private Learjet 60 crashed into a residential neighborhood in Palm Beach County on Sunday afternoon, authorities and family members confirmed.
The aircraft, bound for the Bahamas, departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and plunged from the sky around 12:50 p.m. local time on November 1, 2026.
It slammed into a roadway near South Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North in Greenacres, southwest of West Palm Beach, erupting into a massive fireball. All nine people on board died. No injuries were reported on the ground, though the crash displaced hundreds of nearby residents and scattered debris across the area.
The co-pilot has been identified by her family as Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras (also referred to in some reports as Nathalia Filgueiras or Nathalia Gadelha), a 20-year-old from the Boca Raton area. Her mother, Camila Corteleti, and stepfather confirmed her identity to media outlets, including The New York Post. Filgueiras was working as a commercial pilot for a Fort Lauderdale-based private charter firm and had logged more than 1,300 flight hours.
Filgueiras gained local attention in 2023 when, as a 17-year-old senior at West Boca Raton High School, she earned her private pilot’s license through the Palm Beach County School District’s Aviation Academy—before she obtained a driver’s license. She began ground school in 2020 and was supported by the academy’s training program. In interviews at the time, she spoke of her lifelong passion for flying, inspired in part by her father, a recreational pilot. She later graduated from American Flyers flight school and pursued a career in aviation with aspirations of becoming a commercial airline pilot.
“She loved the freedom,” her mother said. “It was completely different seeing the world from the top.”
Air traffic control audio captured frantic communications from the cockpit shortly before the crash. The crew reported severe turbulence, ice accumulation, and a rapid descent. A female voice—believed to be Filgueiras’—is heard declaring a mayday and stating the aircraft was descending thousands of feet per minute. Flight data indicated a plunge at rates exceeding 20,000 to 30,000 feet per minute. Witnesses described hearing a loud boom as the jet nose-dived onto the wet roadway amid rainy and stormy conditions in the area.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the incident “a horrific tragedy.” The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause. The NTSB was expected to provide further updates in a briefing. Identities of the other eight people on board, including the second pilot, have not yet been publicly released by authorities.
The crash occurred during a period of thunderstorms in South Florida. Investigators are examining factors such as weather, aircraft performance, and possible icing or turbulence contributions. The Learjet 60 is a midsize business jet commonly used for private charter flights.
Community members and fellow aviators have expressed shock at the loss of the young pilot, who had built an impressive early career in a demanding field. Filgueiras would have turned 21 in January.
The NTSB investigation remains ongoing. Officials continue to work at the crash site and urge the public to respect the investigation process as more details emerge about the victims and the circumstances leading to the disaster.
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