A gifted 20-year-old pilot who earned her flying license before graduating from high school has been identified as one of nine people killed when a Learjet crashed into a South Florida neighborhood Sunday, ending a promising aviation career that began when she was just a teenager.
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a young aviator from Boca Raton, was serving as co-pilot aboard the Learjet 60 when the aircraft suddenly lost altitude and crashed in Palm Beach County on November 1.
Her family confirmed her identity following the crash, describing a young woman whose passion for flying began in childhood and developed into a professional aviation career.
The aircraft had departed Austin, Texas, and was traveling toward the Bahamas when the crew encountered trouble during the flight.
The jet crashed near Greenacres, approximately seven miles southwest of West Palm Beach, shortly before 1 p.m.
Witnesses reported a violent impact followed by flames and smoke as wreckage scattered across the residential area.
All nine people aboard the aircraft were killed.
Among the victims were technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, their two young children, and several other passengers.
The deaths have devastated families and communities connected to the victims while federal investigators work to determine what caused the aircraft to fall from the sky.
Filgueiras’ story has attracted particular attention because of her unusually early entry into aviation.
She earned her private pilot’s license in 2023 at age 17 while attending West Boca Raton Community High School.
The achievement was made possible through the school’s specialized aviation academy, a program designed to introduce students to aircraft operations, flight training, and aviation careers.
The Palm Beach County School District helped finance the training that allowed her to obtain her license.
Students participating in the aviation program had opportunities to use flight simulators, drones, and other instructional equipment.
Filgueiras became an example of the opportunities the program could provide to students pursuing professional aviation careers.
In a 2023 interview with WPEC-TV, she spoke about earning her flying license before obtaining a driver’s license.
She said, “Some people think that it’s weird that I can fly planes, but I can’t drive a car.”
She added, “I think it’s funny.”
Her unusual accomplishment reflected years of interest in aircraft and a determination to begin flying at an early age.
According to her mother, Camila Corteleti, Filgueiras developed a love of aviation while accompanying her father, who was a recreational pilot.
As a child, she enjoyed visiting Boca Raton Airport to watch airplanes take off and land.
By approximately age 12, she had already decided that she wanted to become a pilot.
Her family supported that ambition as she pursued aviation training during her teenage years.
Corteleti later described her daughter’s passion for flying in an interview following the tragedy.
She said, “She loved the freedom.”
Her mother explained that Filgueiras was fascinated by the experience of seeing the world from above.
After graduating from high school, Filgueiras continued her aviation training and began working toward a professional flying career.
Her family said she accumulated more than 1,300 hours of flight experience before her death.
That figure demonstrates that although she was only 20 years old, she had spent considerable time training and operating aircraft.
She had reportedly been working as a commercial pilot for approximately nine months.
According to her mother, Filgueiras was employed by Upper Jets, a private charter aviation company based in Fort Lauderdale.
Her qualifications allowed her to serve as co-pilot aboard the Learjet 60.
