NFL star Joe Mixon reveals heartbreaking connection to Florida Learjet crash that killed 9
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA: Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon has shared a heartbreaking connection to the Learjet crash in Florida that killed nine people. The two-time Pro Bowl player revealed that he had flown on the same aircraft with both pilots just weeks before the deadly incident on Sunday, November 1.
Mixon, 30, said he was left “absolutely devastated” after learning about the crash and the people who lost their lives. In a tribute shared on X on Tuesday, November 3, he remembered the pilots as professionals and wonderful people, while paying particular attention to the young co-pilot whose story had touched him.
Absolutely devastated by yesterday’s tragic plane crash in Florida and the loss of all nine lives. I flew on that exact aircraft last month with those same two pilots. They were incredible professionals and genuinely wonderful people. Hearing the young woman’s story and learning about the bright future she had ahead of her makes it even more heartbreaking that her life was cut so short. 💔 My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to the grieving families and loved ones of everyone on board. A tragic reminder of how fragile life is. Love on your loved ones while you can, because you never know what tomorrow may bring.
— ⚡️Primetime!!!⚡️ (@Joe_MainMixon) November 2, 2026
Joe Mixon says he flew on the same Learjet with both pilots
“I flew on that exact aircraft last month with those same two pilots,” Mixon wrote in his post. “They were incredible professionals and genuinely wonderful people.”
The former NFL player also spoke about 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, saying that learning about her life and future made the tragedy even harder to process.
“Hearing the young woman’s story and learning about the bright future she had ahead of her makes it even more heartbreaking that her life was cut so short,” he wrote.
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
Mixon offered prayers to the families of everyone aboard the aircraft, describing the crash as a “tragic reminder of how fragile life is.”
He ended his message with a reminder to appreciate loved ones, writing, “Love on your loved ones while you can, because you never know what tomorrow may bring.”
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras had earned her pilot's license at 17
Filgueiras was co-piloting the Learjet 60 with 55-year-old pilot Jeff Gregory when the aircraft crashed. She grew up in Palm Beach County and had made local headlines in October 2023 after earning her private pilot's license at just 17, while still in high school. She had achieved the milestone before even getting her driver's license.
EXCLUSIVE: The 20 year old co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras who was one of the 9 victims in the Learjet crash in Florida being interviewed by CBS News 3 years ago. She obtained her pilot’s license before getting a drivers license. https://t.co/ckv0EnrH1e
— Florida Man (@FloridaManAF) November 2, 2026
Her family told The Post that she had been flying commercially for nine months and had logged around 1,300 hours in the air before her death.
The pilots had reportedly asked to climb to around 37,000 feet to get above bad weather. They reported icing and turbulence before the jet entered a steep nosedive, descending at more than 20,000 feet per minute.
Filgueiras had also texted her boyfriend, Justin, around 10 minutes before the crash, telling him they were experiencing turbulence and icing. Air traffic control audio captured her screaming as she radioed a controller shortly before the aircraft went down. In the final seconds, Gregory could be heard reciting the Lord's Prayer.
Florida Learjet crash killed nine people as investigators examine final moments
The Learjet crashed into a mobile home park in Palm Beach County, knocking down power lines and leaving a large crater at the impact site.
The nine people killed included tech executive Adam Robinson, 44, his wife, Helen Sharp, and their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2. Robinson's brother confirmed their deaths on Monday. Family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, along with the family's nanny, Anita Maria Apellido Cetina, were also among the victims.
Federal investigators have not yet determined what caused the aircraft to plunge. Authorities said it was flying through temperatures of around minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the plane began breaking apart before impact, scattering debris across an area spanning roughly half a mile. Investigators are also trying to establish whether the Learjet had a cockpit voice recorder and whether the device survived the crash.
