A message about turbulence and ice is among the final communications Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras reportedly sent to her boyfriend before the Learjet she was co-piloting crashed in Florida.
Filgueiras, 20, was one of nine people aboard the aircraft. The jet went down in Palm Beach County on Sunday, November 1, while traveling from Austin, Texas, toward the Bahamas. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, and the cause has not been determined.
A brief message before the crash
Filgueiras’ stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, told the New York Post that she had texted her boyfriend shortly before the accident. He said he believed the message was sent around 12:40 p.m., about ten minutes before the crash, and recalled its words as: “I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice.”
The timing and wording have been reported based on her family’s account. The message has not been identified as an official finding by investigators. Reports also say the flight crew had communicated with air traffic controllers about ice and turbulence as conditions worsened.
The crew’s final radio calls
Air traffic control recordings captured the crew describing changing conditions and requesting to climb. Later transmissions included a mayday call and warnings that the aircraft was descending rapidly. Filgueiras can be heard saying the plane was going to crash, according to published accounts of the audio.
The recordings offer a partial timeline of the emergency, but investigators have not yet determined what caused the aircraft to descend or whether weather, mechanical issues or other factors played a role. The NTSB is examining the available evidence.
A young pilot remembered by her family
Filgueiras’ family described her as a dedicated aviator. News reports say she earned her pilot’s license at 17 and had accumulated about 1,300 flight hours. She was working as a co-pilot on the Learjet 60.
The crash claimed the lives of all nine people aboard, according to reports published as officials and families identified the victims. The investigation remains ongoing, and further details may change as authorities review the flight data, weather conditions and aircraft systems.
For her loved ones, the reported text is a heartbreaking glimpse of the moments before the crash. For investigators, it is one detail among many as they work to understand what happened.