A 20-year-old co-pilot who lost her life in the devastating Florida plane crash on Sunday, November 1, has been at the center of online criticism, with some questioning her age and experience.
Now, her former flight instructor has broken his silence in an emotional public statement, defending the young aviator.
His tribute has also prompted fellow pilots and supporters to push back against the criticism, insisting Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras deserves to be remembered for her dedication rather than blamed for the accident.
Highlights
- Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras faced online criticism after the fatal Florida Learjet crash, prompting her former instructor to speak out against the trolls targeting her.
- The young co-pilot earned her pilot’s license at 17 and had logged around 1,300 flight hours before the tragedy.
- Her final radio transmissions have drawn praise from fellow pilots as the NTSB continues to investigate the crash.
One experienced pilot wrote online, “The criticism and dissection of her career she is receiving is disgraceful!”
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras’ flight instructor breaks his silence to defend her against online criticism following the fatal Learjet 60 crash
A Learjet 60 carrying nine people crashed in Greenacres, Florida, over the weekend while traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.
The aircraft had seven passengers and two crew members on board, and all nine lost their lives.
The victims included 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras and 55-year-old captain Jeffrey Gregory.
The seven passengers were Adam Robinson, Helen Sharp, their two children Emma and Charlie Robinson, Anita Maria Ramirez Cetina, Rachael Reed, and Charmi Fehr.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Nathalia became the subject of online criticism because of her young age and gender, with many blaming her for the crash.
However, her former flight instructor Chris Kirk has spoken out in her defense, sharing an emotional tribute to the young aviator.
Kirk, who said he was one of Nathalia's first flight instructors and mentors, reflected on his 40 years of teaching and described her as “the most naturally gifted pilot I have ever taught.”
In a Facebook post, he wrote, “That young lady was born to fly! There was not a check ride that the examiner was not blown away!”
The instructor also shared details of her training, revealing “she had less than 1100 hours, and she absolutely aced the PIC type rating and the examiner thought she had about 5000 hours” of experience.
The 20-year-old earned her pilot’s license at 17, with her instructor remembering her as a “gifted pilot” who was “born to fly”
Chris added, “When I gave her her Spin Endorsement for her CFI, we did so many spins that I started to become nauseous! Truth!!”
“I am saddened because so many of the pilots in training today never wanted to become pilots and only want to become airline pilots… I saw this time and time again! They had no passion for flying. They only wanted to get to the airlines to make the big money.”
He concluded, “Nathalia was PASSIONATE about flying!!! She was a 100% natural-born pilot!!! I pray that she continues to fly amongst the clouds in heaven.”
His words prompted fellow pilots to challenge the criticism directed at the young co-pilot.
One commenter wrote, “Thank you for standing up for HER. She deserves better. She did her job to the very end. Gone at 20. Let that sink in.”
Another person who identified themselves as a former commercial bush pilot said, “I cry for this lass I never knew, and hearing her cool voice over the radio just before the impact told me how professional she was.”
“Thank you for sharing! I have flown for over 20 years, and the posts of ‘it was a female pilot’ absolutely disgust me. It was a terrible accident, and may they all rest in peace,” a third user added.
Another comment read, “Thank you for sharing that insight about her. Both pilots did what they could. I was an instructor myself and always push the understanding that anything can go wrong and work the problem. They tried! Sometimes, sadly, the problem is not workable with a positive outcome.”
Nathalia's achievements in aviation began while she was still in high school.
The young co-pilot continued communicating with air traffic control as the Learjet plunged toward the ground
She earned her private pilot's license at just 17, reportedly before she had even obtained her driver's license.
By the time of the crash, she had accumulated approximately 1,300 hours of flying experience and had been working as a commercial pilot for around nine months, according to her family.
She held a rating to fly the Learjet 60, although she was not authorized to serve as the aircraft's pilot in command.
The Learjet's captain was Jeffrey Gregory, while Nathalia was serving as the co-pilot.
In the minutes before the crash, the flight crew reported encountering icing, turbulence, and precipitation while flying at approximately 35,000 feet.
Nathalia had also reportedly texted her pilot boyfriend around 10 minutes before the crash, telling him, “I've got turbulence, I've got ice.”
The crew subsequently requested permission to climb to a higher altitude, but the situation deteriorated rapidly.
Air traffic control recordings captured a series of increasingly urgent transmissions as the aircraft began losing altitude at an alarming rate.
Nathalia reported that the aircraft was descending at 10,000 feet per minute before communicating that it was in an overspeed condition and descending at 20,000 feet per minute.
Fellow pilots and netizens push back against criticism of Nathalia as the NTSB investigates the Florida crash
The transmissions continued as the descent worsened, with the crew reporting a rate of 22,000 feet per minute.
The final recorded transmission included the words, “We're out of time,” before communication with the aircraft was lost.
The recording prompted many aviation enthusiasts to praise the crew's efforts under extraordinary circumstances.
One commenter wrote, “I listened to her transmission. Nearly overwhelmed by stress and fear, she did her job right to the last second. I'd like to see how her critics would hold it together in similar circumstances.”
Another person who said they had been flying for longer than many of the critics had been alive added that “both these pilots did the best they could given their situation and I would have been honored to fly with either of them.
The National Transportation Safety Board has not yet determined what caused the Learjet to crash.
Investigators have recovered pieces of the aircraft's left elevator, a tail control surface, as far as 3.8 miles from the impact site, indicating that at least part of the plane broke apart before hitting the ground.
Weather conditions, including the icing and turbulence reported by the crew, remain a major focus of the ongoing investigation.
“I immediately shut down people saying she was too young for that responsibility. I'd have frozen, and I've flown since 14,” one netizen wrote
