“SHE MADE ME SO PROUD”: FATHER REMEMBERS 20-YEAR-OLD PILOT NATHALIA FILGUEIRAS AFTER TRAGIC FLORIDA JET 𝔠r𝘢sh

CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA — November 6, 2026

The father of 20-year-old pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras has shared an emotional tribute to his daughter, remembering her as a gifted young woman whose greatest passion was flying.

Allan Filgueiras struggled to hold back tears as he spoke publicly for the first time at a news conference in Coral Gables, Florida, on Friday. Sitting alongside the family’s attorney, Stuart Grossman, he described Nathalia as his soulmate, his inspiration and someone who had brought immense pride into his life.

“I wanted to be by her side. Inside the plane, to help, to be by her. I had to be next to her,” Allan said emotionally.

Nathalia was among nine people who lost their lives when a Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on November 1. The aircraft was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it encountered severe weather and ultimately crashed in the Greenacres area.

For Allan, the tᩚraɢedy has been particularly painful because aviation was something he and his daughter had shared since she was a child.

A DREAM THAT BEGAN WITH HER FATHER

Growing up around airplanes, Nathalia developed a love for flying at an exceptionally young age. Her father, who was also a pilot, introduced her to aviation and encouraged her passion.

Their relationship eventually developed into something extraordinary: they became not only father and daughter but also fellow pilots.

Nathalia earned her pilot’s license in 2023, when she was just 17 years old and still attending high school. By the time of the 𝔠r𝘢sh, she had accumulated more than 1,300 flight hours and earned her commercial pilot’s license.

Allan fondly remembered how their roles eventually changed as his daughter gained experience.

“When we flew together, I used to instruct her. But then she became my instructor,” he recalled with a smile.

He also remembered a remark Nathalia often made about her profession.

“Dad, can you believe that I would pay for this, but they actually pay me?”

For her, flying was never simply a job. It was the dream she had worked toward for years, and she was fortunate enough to turn that dream into her career.

HER FINAL RADIO TRANSMISSIONS LEFT HER FATHER PROUD

In the days following the 𝔠r𝘢sh, Allan repeatedly listened to the cockpit audio recordings, hoping to understand what had happened during his daughter’s final flight.

The recordings revealed a rapidly developing emergency.

During her final communications with air traffic control, Nathalia reported ice accumulating on the aircraft as it encountered a thunderstorm and severe turbulence. The plane was reportedly being thrown up and down by approximately 700 feet.

As the situation deteriorated, she continued communicating with air traffic controllers and reporting the aircraft’s condition.

At one point, she declared an emergency, reporting an overspeed condition and an extremely rapid descent.

For Allan, listening to those recordings was heartbreaking. But amid his grief, he also found something that made him incredibly proud.

“I did listen to that many times, trying to find a clue in my head how that happened. And wow, she’s tough,” he said.

He praised the determination his daughter demonstrated throughout the emergency, believing she continued doing everything she could until the final moments.

“She made me so proud. She showed me what it is to be a hero,” Allan said.

His words reflected both the pain of a father who desperately wished he could have helped his child and the admiration of someone who understood the courage required to face such an extraordinary situation.

FAMILY SEEKS TO PRESERVE HER MEMORY AND REPUTATION

During Friday’s news conference, the family’s attorney, Stuart Grossman, emphasized that the gathering was intended to honor Nathalia and protect her reputation.

Following the tᩚraɢedy, questions had emerged online about whether the young co-pilot had sufficient experience to serve aboard the Learjet.

Grossman strongly defended her qualifications, explaining that she had performed exceptionally well academically and professionally.

“She was at the top of her class in everything that she did, and she was perfectly qualified to be the co-pilot on this flight, despite her tender years,” he said.

The attorney also made clear that the family was not making accusations against anyone at this stage. They intended to wait for the findings of the official investigation before drawing conclusions.

There were no immediate plans to file a lawsuit.

Federal investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the 𝔠r𝘢sh. Investigators have recovered aircraft debris, including parts of an engine and sections of the tail, some found miles from the main impact site.

The cause of the 𝔠r𝘢sh has not yet been officially determined.

“I HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP LIVING”

Perhaps the most heartbreaking moment of the news conference came when Allan spoke about the future without his daughter.

In Spanish, he expressed the devastating pain the family was experiencing, describing the loss as feeling like his heart had been torn from his chest.

“I have to find a way to live,” he said.

He acknowledged that he still had his wife and three other children who needed him. Despite the overwhelming grief, he was determined to find the strength to continue.

He also expressed his belief that Nathalia would not want to see her father completely broken by the tᩚraɢedy.

“I’m going to find a way to make her proud — and make my wife and other three kids proud, too,” he said.

Nathalia’s life ended far too soon, but the memories she created with her family, her achievements and her passion for aviation remain part of the legacy she leaves behind.

For Allan, she will always be the little girl who first discovered the magic of flying beside her father, the young woman who turned her childhood dream into reality, and the daughter whose courage made him prouder than words could ever express.

She was only 20 years old.

But in those 20 years, she had already achieved something many people spend a lifetime dreaming about.

And to her father, she will always be extraordinary.