Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, has been identified as the co-pilot aboard the Learjet 60 that crashed in Florida on November 1, 2026, killing all nine people on board. Her mother and stepfather confirmed her identity to the New York Post on November 2.
Nathalia developed a passion for aviation at a young age and achieved a remarkable milestone in 2023, earning her private pilot’s licence at just 17 years old—before obtaining her driver’s licence. At the time, she was a senior at West Boca Raton High School in Florida and had already accumulated 88 flight hours.
Her achievement was featured by CBS12 News, where she spoke about her aspirations of becoming a commercial airline pilot or flying private jets. Her early accomplishments reflected her dedication to aviation and her ambition to build a career in the skies.
Tragically, just three years after earning her pilot’s licence, Nathalia’s journey came to an end when the Learjet 60 she was co-piloting crashed while travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the accident. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Nathalia’s death is a heartbreaking loss for her family and the aviation community, cutting short the promising career of a young pilot who had pursued her dream from an early age.
