The family and friends of 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras have spoken publicly for the first time following the Learjet crash that killed nine people in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Filgueiras was co-piloting the aircraft alongside 55-year-old Jeff Gregory when it reportedly lost control and plunged tens of thousands of feet before crashing into the ground on Sunday.
The impact triggered a massive fireball, created a large crater in the roadway and scattered debris across an area stretching approximately half a mile.
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Filgueiras’s stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, described the family’s anguish as they awaited answers about the tragedy.
“All we know is that our daughter is down there, under the ground with that airplane,” he said.
Federal authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Best Friend Recalls Disturbing Final Communications
Mikaela Schluth, who had known Filgueiras since middle school, spoke about her friend during an interview with CBS Mornings.
She said she was proud of the young pilot for maintaining her composure and communicating information to air traffic controllers as the emergency unfolded.
However, Schluth described the recording of the final communications as the “worst thing I’ve ever heard.”
The audio captured the increasingly desperate exchanges between the aircraft’s cockpit and air traffic controllers in Miami.
Controllers had initially authorised the pilots to deviate left and right because of moderate precipitation southeast of their location.
They described the weather conditions as “pretty nasty” as the twin-engine business jet approached the area.
After controllers mentioned moderate turbulence, Filgueiras began reporting a rapid descent as the situation deteriorated.
Final Mayday Calls Captured on Air Traffic Control Audio
In the recording, Filgueiras informed controllers that the aircraft was descending rapidly.
“Seven two two bravo delta, we’re descending 8,000… mayday mayday… we’re descending 10,000ft per minute,” she said.
Her voice became increasingly distressed as she declared an emergency and reported that the aircraft was experiencing an overspeed condition.
“Declaring emergency, declaring emergency, we are in an overspeed condition,” she said.
Moments later, she reported that the aircraft was descending at 20,000 feet per minute and warned that it was heading towards the ground.
“I’m here with you, talk to me,” the air traffic controller responded.
Filgueiras subsequently reported that the aircraft was descending at 22,000 feet per minute while banking at 60 degrees.
Her final recorded transmission included the words: “We’re out of time.”
The Daily Mail said it had chosen not to publish the final seconds of the recording because of their distressing nature.
Poor Weather Conditions Recorded Before the Impact
Weather conditions around West Palm Beach on Sunday afternoon included overcast skies, rain and lightning.
Winds were blowing from the east at approximately 15mph, with gusts reaching nearly 25mph.
Footage of the incident showed the Learjet striking a roadway before erupting into flames.
Some experts suggested that the aircraft may have been travelling at close to supersonic speed when it hit the ground.
National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman addressed the crash during a news conference on Monday.
He said investigators had found indications that the aircraft began breaking apart before reaching the impact site.
“We do have some indication that the aircraft was breaking up before impact,” Chapman said.
He added that investigators expected to find aircraft components scattered some distance from the main crash location.
Aircraft Was Travelling From Texas to the Bahamas
The Learjet departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas at 10.37am ET on Sunday.
It was travelling towards the Bahamas and had reached an altitude of approximately 35,000 feet while heading east when the pilot began reporting problems.
Nine people were aboard the aircraft, including the two pilots, a family of four, their nanny and another couple.
Among the victims were technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, and their two children, Emma, four, and Charlie, two.
The family was travelling from their home in Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas alongside their nanny, Anita Maria Cetina, and friends Rachel Reed and Charmi Fehr.
Families Release Statement Honouring the Victims
The families of those who died released a joint statement paying tribute to the victims and remembering their relationships with one another.
Describing Robinson and Sharp, the statement said they were devoted parents whose children were central to their lives.
“Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, four, and Charlie, two, were the light of their lives. Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever,” the statement read.
It also highlighted the couple’s warmth, generosity and ability to make others feel welcome, adding that their deaths would be deeply felt by everyone who knew them.
Reed and Fehr were also remembered for their enthusiasm for life and the strength of their relationships.
“Charmi and Rachel were full of joy and adventure. They loved their people fiercely, fully and without hesitation,” the families said.
The statement added that the two women had been committed to one another and the life they were building together.
Cetina, who cared for the couple’s two children, was described as someone who had become an integral part of the family.
“Anita Maria cared for Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion, and she was truly part of the family,” the statement said.
Tributes Paid to Entrepreneur Adam Robinson and Businesswoman Helen Sharp
Robinson was an entrepreneur who founded the technology company Retention and regularly spoke publicly about his experience building a successful start-up.
His wife, Helen, operated a communications company called Influential PR and owned Helen Sharp Ceramics, a pottery studio based in Aspen.
Her family also released a separate statement expressing their grief over her death.
“On behalf of friends and family, it is with a heavy heart that we share that our dearest Helen was taken from us too soon,” the statement read.
It described her as someone who was loved by many, noting that the number of people mourning her and Robinson reflected the relationships they had built throughout their lives.
The Palm Beach Post had earlier spoken with Helen’s father, who confirmed that his daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren had been aboard the aircraft.
“It’s quite a blow. We had a daughter, her husband and two grandchildren on the plane,” he said.
Federal investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances of the crash that claimed the lives of all nine people aboard the Learjet.
