The co-pilot of the private Learjet 60 that crashed yesterday in a residential area of Florida was just 20 years old; all nine people on board lost their lives. Her name was Natalia Gadelia, a young woman who had managed to obtain her pilot’s license before even finishing high school and dreamed of pursuing a career in aviation, whose voice is reportedly heard in the final dramatic seconds before the jet crashed, as she communicated with the control tower.
In fact, her story had been making headlines in the local media in Florida as early as October 2023, when, at just 17 years old, she managed to obtain a private pilot’s license
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Her identity became known after her mother, Camila, and her stepfather confirmed it to the New York Post. The 20-year-old was in the cockpit of the Learjet 60, which had taken off from Austin, Texas, bound for the Bahamas, when it suffered a dramatic loss of altitude and crashed in Palm Beach County.
READ ALSO: “We don’t have any more time”: The final dramatic minutes before the jet crash that killed nine people in Florida
According to flight data, the aircraft began losing altitude at a rate exceeding 20,000 feet per minute before crashing to the ground and bursting into flames.
The audio recordings of the crew’s communication with air traffic control are also shocking, as they contain frantic calls for help shortly before the crash.
She had obtained her pilot’s license at age 17
Natalia Gadelia’s story had been making headlines in the local media in Florida as early as October 2023, when, at just 17 years old, she managed to obtain a private pilot’s license.
What was remarkable was that the young student could fly airplanes even though she hadn’t yet obtained a driver’s license.
“I’m definitely proud of that, because when people tell me, ‘But you can’t drive,’ I tell them, ‘Yes, but I can fly,’" she said with a laugh in an interview she gave at the time to CBS12.
— Amy Leigh (@IAmyLeigh) November 2, 2026
Tragic Turn in Palm Beach County Learjet Crash: 20 Year Old Co Pilot Identified The co pilot aboard the Learjet 60 that tragically crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, resulting in nine fatalities, has been identified as 20 year old local aviator Nathalia Gadelha. Gadelha, who grew up in Palm Beach County, made headlines back in October 2023 when she earned her private pilot’s license at just 17 years old famously achieving her wings before she even had a driver’s license. Her mother and stepfather confirmed to the New York Post that she was in the cockpit flying the aircraft from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it entered a catastrophic nosedive dropping at over 20,000 feet per minute before crashing near Military Trail. Harrowing air traffic control audio captured the final moments of the flight as the crew fought desperately to manage the aircraft. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of all nine souls lost in this devastating accident. #AviationNews #PalmBeach #BreakingNews #FloridaCrash #NathaliaGadelha #PublicSafety
Gadelia grew up in Palm Beach County and attended West Boca Raton High School, where she became seriously involved in aviation from a very young age.
As she explained, she began taking flying lessons in 2020, and her father, who had begun learning to fly in 2018—initially as a hobby—also played a significant role in fostering her love for airplanes.
I believe the female pilot involved in the tragic private plane crash in Palm Beach County today is Nathalia Filgueiras, of Florida. Nathalia Filgueiras did a news interview about getting her pilot’s license while still in high school in 2023. In a March 2026 post, Nathalia posted about flying a LearJet 60, the type of plane that crashed today. Her sister, Giulia, also seemingly commented on a TikTok post about the crash saying "My sister
— Evan Kilgore" and her Instagram is following Nathalia’s "itsnatflig" account. Her partner, "J" (as seen in her IG bio) is likely the "Jack" she cries out to in the chilling audio. It looks like she flies with him routinely, according to her former social media posts. Jack is also heard reciting the Lord’s prayer in the moments before the crash. May they rest in peace.
(@EvanAKilgore) November 2, 2026
She completed the ground school and then flew daily, accumulating 88 flight hours and successfully passing the required knowledge exams to obtain her license.
In fact, the costs for her license were covered by the Palm Beach School District Aviation Academy as part of an educational program that began in 2023.
“Some people find it strange that I can fly but not drive.”
The young co-pilot had spoken enthusiastically about her unusual path, explaining that she liked standing out from her peers.
“I like being different from others. For me, it’s something really nice, because it’s not an opportunity that comes along often,” she had said.
At another point in her interview, she humorously mentioned that she had learned to fly airplanes before she learned to drive a car.
“I just never got a driver’s license, and that’s how things turned out. I think it’s really cool, though. Some people find it strange that I can fly airplanes but can’t drive a car. I mean, I can drive, but a lot of people find it funny. And I find it funny too, although now I really, really want to get my driver’s license,” she had said.
Her big goal was to become a professional pilot and one day find herself in the cockpit of a commercial passenger aircraft.
During her training, she graduated from American Flyers, a flight school based in Addison, Texas, with a branch in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Aviation was an important part of her family life. Her mother often posted photos on social media of family flights in private aircraft.
The Fatal Flight and Crash in a Residential Area
The accident occurred at noon on Sunday (November 1), when the Learjet 60, which was flying from Texas to the Bahamas, began to lose altitude rapidly over the Greenacres area of Palm Beach County.
Shortly before the crash, the crew had contacted air traffic controllers, reporting difficult weather conditions, including turbulence, rain, and icing.
The situation took a dramatic turn when the aircraft began a steep descent. In the crew’s final communication, a warning can be heard that the plane is about to hit the ground.
The recorded conversations between the woman in the cockpit and air traffic control capture the dramatic moments leading up to the tragedy, as the aircraft lost altitude uncontrollably, with the crew realizing that a crash was now inevitable.
It all began when the Learjet 60, operating a private flight from Texas to the Bahamas, was flying at an altitude of 35,000 feet, approximately 10,670 meters. The crew informed air traffic controllers of turbulence, precipitation, and icing, requesting to climb another 2,000 feet.
Initially, the female crew member described the conditions as manageable, referring to “moderate turbulence” and “light icing.”
Within moments, however, the situation changed dramatically.
“We’re losing altitude at a rate of 8,000 feet per minute. Mayday, mayday, we’re losing 10,000 feet per minute,” she can be heard shouting.
The shocking audio clip:
— Aviation Reporter (@TripppleSeven7) November 1, 2026
AUDIO: N722BD with Miami Center in the final minutes before the Learjet 60 went down in Greenacres, FL. It starts like routine radio traffic: ATC passes along rides ahead and the temperature, and gives the crew altitude at their discretion. The crew reports descending and says they’re direct Freeport. Then the weather comes up. The crew says they’re managing turbulence and picking up precipitation. Soon after, the transmissions change: they declare an emergency and say “we are banking.” Near the end, you hear “descending ten thousand” and ATC repeating the callsign, “November seven two two bravo delta.” Flightradar24 data shows the jet falling at more than 32,000 ft/min from 8,750 ft. Nine people were aboard.
The descent becomes increasingly steep, with the jet reaching a speed greater than it could safely withstand.
“We’ve exceeded the speed limits; we’re descending at 20,000 feet per minute,” the woman continues, her voice reflecting the anguish of those final moments.
What follows is the phrase that confirms the crew has now realized the gravity of the situation.
“We’re going to crash into the ground,” she is heard saying, before letting out a scream.
On the other end of the line, the air traffic controller tries to maintain contact with her. “I’m here with you, talk to me,” he tells her.
The final response from the cockpit is even more shocking. “We’re descending at 22,000 feet, we’re at a 60-degree angle… Look outside.”
And immediately afterward, she hears the phrase that would be his last: “Damn it, we don’t have any more time.”
About 35 seconds after the first distress signal, communication was lost and the aircraft crashed to the ground.
Video footage of the crash shows the Learjet plummeting nearly vertically and crashing at tremendous speed near a main road in the city of Greenacres, just a few meters from passing cars.
WATCH: Dashcam video captures the crash of a $2 million Learjet 60 (N722BD) in Palm Springs, Florida. https://t.co/8jmiOMG9ys
— Scope Report (@ScopeReport_) November 1, 2026
The impact created a massive fireball, while a large crater formed at the site and debris was scattered over a wide area.
“It looked like a rocket was falling,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, describing the scene of the disaster.
U.S. authorities are investigating the causes of the tragedy, examining, among other things, weather conditions and the crew’s reports of ice formation, though the cause of the uncontrolled descent has not yet been determined.
The Learjet crashed onto a road in a residential area, causing a powerful explosion and a major fire. Dashcam footage captured the final moments of the flight, while images from the scene showed a large crater in the road and debris scattered over a wide area.
All nine people on board the aircraft lost their lives.
The causes of the accident are being investigated by U.S. aviation authorities and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), though no definitive conclusion has yet been reached regarding what caused the loss of control of the aircraft.
Source: Proto Thema
