‘She showed me what it is to be a hero’: Pilot recalls daughter’s final radio calls before Learjet crash

Allan Filgueiras, the father of a 20-year-old co-pilot who died in a South Florida Learjet crash, praised his daughter’s composure in her final moments after listening to her last radio transmission. “She made me so proud. She showed me what it means to be a hero, because once you see that coming, a lot of the big boys — military or whatever — they can’t handle it. And she was the one over there to the last minute fighting.”

According to the Associated Press, his daughter, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueras, was the co-pilot on board a Leerjet 60 business jet that crashed into a roadway along Palm Beach County, Florida, earlier this month. The jet erupted upon impact and killed Filgueras along with eight others after having departed from Austin, Texas, earlier that morning. It was initially bound for the Bahamas.

Among the eight who lost their lives in the crash were tech CEO Adam Robinson, his wife, their two young children, and a caregiver. He founded Retention.com, an Austin-based data and marketing technology firm, and co-founded the email marketing platform, Robly.

Allan Filguerias taught his daughter how to fly

Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras earned her Private Pilot’s License in 2023 when she was only 17 years old, as per CBS12. “Some people think that it’s weird that I can fly planes, but I can’t drive a car,” the younger Filgueiras shared in the interview.

Allan Filgueiras is also an experienced private pilot and began training his daughter when she was 12, taking her on board his flights. According to the family, she had completed extensive training to attain her license and logged over 1,500 hours of experience. “It was her happiest moment, to fly,” Filgueiras said.

“She was at the top of her class in everything she did, and was perfectly qualified to be the co-pilot on this flight, despite her tender years,” Stuart Grossman, the family’s attorney, told reporters during Friday’s press conference.

Nathalia maintained her composure in the flight recorder data recovered from the crash. “We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute,” she reported. “We’re going to crash into the ground.” Moments later, she shared her last update. “We’re out of time.”

Allan Filgueiras told reporters that he had reviewed the audio logs many times, “Trying to find a clue in my head how that happened.” Filgueiras continued, “I wanted to be by her side. Inside the plane to help.”

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash. It may take over a year to determine its cause.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addressed the incident, telling reporters, “Obviously, this was a cataclysmic plane crash. It looked like a missile going down.” Governor DeSantis added, “It’s really a tragic way to see people pass away. We should offer our thoughts and prayers with their family.”