“I’VE GOT TURBULENCE, I’VE GOT ICE” — 20-YEAR-OLD PILOT’S FINAL TEXT BEFORE diᩚadℓy LEARJET 𝔠r𝘢sh THAT CLAIMED NINE LIVES

A heartbreaking message sent just minutes before a devastating plane 𝔠r𝘢sh has revealed the terrifying conditions faced by a 20-year-old co-pilot whose promising aviation career was cut tragically short.

Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras was among nine people killed when a Learjet 60 crashed in Greenacres, Florida, on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

The young pilot had been pursuing her dream of flying since childhood. But during what should have been another routine journey, the aircraft encountered severe weather conditions that quickly developed into an emergency.

According to her stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, Nathalia sent a message to her boyfriend, Justin, shortly before the 𝔠r𝘢sh.

The chilling words he recalled were:

“I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice.”

The message was reportedly sent around 12:40 p.m., approximately 10 minutes before the aircraft went down.

The private message has not been independently authenticated, but its account is consistent with the difficulties subsequently reported by the flight crew to air traffic controllers.

THE FINAL TEN MINUTES: WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED

The Learjet had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, bound for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas.

There were nine people aboard: two pilots and seven passengers.

At approximately 12:47 p.m., while cruising at around 35,000 feet, the crew contacted air traffic control and reported encountering light clear icing and moderate turbulence.

Initially, the conditions were described as manageable.

However, the situation deteriorated rapidly.

The aircraft began experiencing significant altitude fluctuations, with the crew reporting changes of approximately 700 feet.

The pilots requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet in an apparent attempt to manage the conditions.

Less than 30 seconds later, the emergency escalated.

The crew reported that the aircraft was descending rapidly.

A desperate mayday call followed, with the pilot reporting an alarming descent rate.

In one of the final transmissions, the crew reported an overspeed condition while descending at approximately 20,000 feet per minute.

Moments later came the devastating words:

“We’re going to 𝔠r𝘢sh into the ground.”

At approximately 12:51 p.m., the Learjet struck the ground in Greenacres.

The aircraft erupted into flames, leaving a large crater and debris scattered across the surrounding residential area.

All nine people aboard lost their lives.

A DREAM THAT BEGAN WHEN SHE WAS JUST 12

Behind the heartbreaking final communications was a young woman who had devoted years of her life to aviation.

Nathalia had dreamed of becoming a pilot since she was around 12 years old.

She earned her private pilot’s licence at just 17 while attending West Boca Raton Community High School in Florida.

By the time of her dєatᩚh, her family said she had accumulated more than 1,300 flying hours and had worked hard to establish herself in the aviation industry.

Her father, Allan Filgueiras, was also a pilot and had shared his love of flying with his daughter.

Their relationship was built around a passion they both understood.

Her family has strongly defended her experience and qualifications following questions raised online about her young age.

Her attorney said she was highly trained and qualified to serve as co-pilot on the flight.

HER FATHER FINALLY SPEAKS: “SHE’S TOUGH”

On November 6, Nathalia’s father spoke publicly about his daughter’s final moments for the first time.

He revealed that he had listened to the final radio transmissions repeatedly, desperately searching for an explanation of what happened.

“I did listen to that many times trying to find a clue. In my head. How’d that happen? And wow, she’s tough,” he said.

Although listening to the recordings was deeply painful, he said they also filled him with immense pride.

He described his daughter as extraordinary and recalled how she continued communicating with air traffic control as the emergency unfolded.

Speaking through tears, he described the loss as having his heart torn from his chest.

He also said he needed to find a way to keep going for his family.

For a father who had once taught his daughter to fly, the tᩚraɢedy has left an unimaginable void.

NINE LIVES LOST IN THE FLORIDA DISASTER

The 𝔠r𝘢sh claimed the lives of nine people, including Nathalia, the aircraft’s 55-year-old captain Jeff Gregory and seven passengers.

Among the passengers were technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp and their two young children, Emma and Charlie.

Their nanny, Ana María Ramírez Cetina, and family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr were also aboard.

The disaster devastated several families and left residents in the surrounding community dealing with the aftermath.

People living near the 𝔠r𝘢sh site were evacuated as emergency crews and investigators worked through the extensive debris field.

One person on the ground was also injured.

INVESTIGATORS SEARCH FOR ANSWERS

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is continuing to investigate what caused the aircraft to plunge from the sky.

Ice accumulation and severe turbulence are among the factors being examined.

Investigators have also discovered pieces of the aircraft’s left elevator several miles from the 𝔠r𝘢sh site, indicating that the Learjet began breaking apart before hitting the ground.

However, officials have not established whether the aircraft’s structural breakup caused the loss of control or occurred as a consequence of the extreme forces during its descent.

The investigation is examining the aircraft’s systems, weather conditions, flight communications and recovered wreckage.

A definitive cause has not yet been determined.

For Nathalia’s family, the search for answers is deeply personal. But her father has made one thing clear: he wants people to remember his daughter for her extraordinary determination, her love of aviation and the dream she worked so hard to achieve.

She was only 20.

She had so much more of her life ahead of her.

And for the father who once shared the skies with her, the memories of those flights together will remain forever.

May all nine victims rest in peace.