Learjet co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras’ mom reveals haunting premonition before fatal crash
GREENACRES, FLORIDA: The mother of Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, the 20-year-old co-pilot killed in the deadly Learjet crash in Florida, has recalled a conversation from her daughter's childhood that has taken on a heartbreaking meaning. In an interview, Camila revealed how she once doubted Nathalia would become a pilot, despite her daughter's determination to pursue the career.
Nathalia was among nine people killed when the Learjet 60 plunged thousands of feet before crashing into a residential area in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, November 1. She had been working as a commercial pilot for just nine months after earning her license while still in high school.
The co-pilot of the Learjet that crashed into the ground in Florida has been identified as 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras, texted her boyfriend just 10 minutes before the crash. Filgueiras' mother said she "always knew" a plane would "take her away from me." The pilot was flying to the Bahamas when the plane plummeted 20,000 feet per minute into the ground. "I wanted her to live her dream, but I knew that her dream was going to be the thing that would take her away from me," her mother told the New York Post. "I knew that a plane was gonna take her away from me. I always knew it, but I was so proud of her. I know she was living her dream." Just 10 minutes before the crash, Filgueiras reportedly texted her boyfriend: "I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice." The female pilot got her pilot license in high school. Her stepfather says she had 1,300 hours of experience. In a social media post, Filgueiras boasted about how young she was as a pilot with her boyfriend. "How often do you see 2 pilots under 21 with a commercial, multi-engine, instrument, CFI/CFI-I," she said. 8 other people were on board the jet when it crashed. They have yet to be identified.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 2, 2026
Nathalia Filgueiras' mom says she knew 'a plane was gonna take her away from me'
Nathalia's stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, told the New York Post that the young woman had wanted to become a pilot since she was little. Her interest reportedly began after she went flying with her father in his Beechcraft Bonanza.
Camila remembered how her daughter came home after one such flight and announced what she wanted to do with her life.
"One day after flying with him, she came home, and we were in our room, and she walked in, and she said, 'I'm gonna be a pilot,' and I said, 'No, you won't,'" Camila recalled.
She also remembered how Thiago disagreed with her response and encouraged Nathalia to follow her ambition.
"Thiago looked at me and said, 'If that's what she wants to be, she will be a pilot,' and I was like, 'No, she won't,'" Camila said.
Nathalia eventually proved that she could achieve the dream she had spoken about as a child. Her mother said she would have turned 21 in January and had already spent nine months working as a commercial pilot.
“I wanted her to live her dream, but I knew that her dream was going to be the thing that would take her away from me,” Camila told The New York Post.
“I knew that a plane was gonna take her away from me. I always knew it but I was so proud of her. I know she was living her dream," she said.
Nathalia Filgueiras' final moments aboard the doomed Learjet
The Learjet was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it crashed in Florida. The aircraft took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at around 10.37 am, with the fatal crash occurring roughly two hours later.
Cockpit audio captured Nathalia warning about the aircraft's rapid descent as the situation worsened.
"We're descending 8,000 – mayday, mayday, – we're descending 10,000ft per minute," she said.
She later screamed, "We're going to crash into the ground," as the plane continued its rapid descent. The aircraft reportedly plunged more than 25,000 feet in under a minute.
Captain Jeff Gregory, 55, was also heard reciting the Lord's Prayer moments before the crash.
Nathalia had also contacted her boyfriend, a fellow pilot, shortly before the accident. According to Thiago, she sent him a text around 12.40 pm, approximately 10 minutes before the crash.
"She just said, 'I've got turbulence, I've got ice,'" Thiago revealed.
Nine people killed in Florida Learjet crash
The crash claimed the lives of all nine people aboard the aircraft. Among the passengers were tech tycoon Adam Robinson, 45, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, and their two young children, Emma, four, and Charlie, two.
The family's friends, Charmi Fehr and Rachael Reed, were also on board, along with the children's nanny, Anita Maria Apellido Cetina.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the aircraft's final moments while speaking about the crash.
"It looked like a missile going down. It left a big crater," he said.
