Nathalia Gadelha, 20, was identified as the co-pilot of a Learjet 60 that crashed in Palm Beach County, killing all nine people aboard. (Foto: Instagram)
Nathalia Gadelha, 20, was identified by U.S. authorities as the co-pilot of a Learjet 60 that crashed in South Florida on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 1. All nine people aboard died after the aircraft crashed and exploded in Palm Beach County.
The jet was flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it plunged at more than 6,000 meters per minute and struck the ground in a trailer park, according to the report. An audio recording of communications with air traffic control captured a pilot calling for help. The New York Post reported that the voice was Gadelha’s; her mother, Camila Gadelha Corteleti, and stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, confirmed her identity.
In the recording, the pilot declared an emergency and reported a descent of 20,000 feet per minute. A controller acknowledged the call and asked what assistance was needed. The pilot later said the plane was descending at 22,000 feet and banking at a 60-degree angle. Amid screams in the background, she said, “We’re going to die. We’re going to die. We’re going to hit the ground. Look outside,” then added, “We’re out of time.” The controller tried to reach the aircraft again, but the transmission ended.
Gadelha had earned a pilot’s license while still in high school and had worked as a commercial pilot for nine months. She grew up in Palm Beach County and received local media attention after earning her private pilot’s license at age 17 in October 2023, before she had a driver’s license. In an interview with CBS12 at the time, she joked that when people told her she could not drive, she replied, “That’s true, but I can fly.” She trained at American Flyers, an aviation school based in Addison, Texas, with a branch in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Her stepfather said Gadelha had texted her boyfriend, Justin, about 10 minutes before the crash. She wrote that she was experiencing turbulence and ice, he said. Her mother said she had wanted her daughter to pursue her dream, while knowing that flying would take her away from home. “I always knew a plane would take her from me,” Camila said. “I was so proud of her. I knew she was living her dream.” She also said she believed flying would have been the way Gadelha would have chosen to go, but added that she did not want it to happen so soon. Authorities had not identified the other eight victims.
