Nathalia Gadelha, a 20-year-old pilot heard in the final mayday call from a Learjet that crashed in a Florida neighbourhood, has been identified as the aircraft’s co-pilot.
Gadelha is believed to be among nine people killed when the Bahamas-bound Learjet 60 plunged more than 30,000 feet in a minute and exploded in Greenacres, about 11km south of Palm Beach.
Her family confirmed that she was aboard the private jet, which left Austin, Texas, on Sunday. Authorities have not yet released the names of those who died, while the cause of the crash remains unconfirmed.
Final radio call before Florida Learjet crash
Air traffic control recordings indicate that Gadelha reported ice accumulating on the jet as it travelled east at 35,000 feet. She also described moderate turbulence, with the aircraft being jolted by as much as 700 feet.
“We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” she told controllers.
She then requested permission to climb another 2,000 feet before declaring an emergency as the jet began losing altitude rapidly.
“We’re descending 8,000 — mayday, mayday — we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” Gadelha said.
The pilot later radioed: “We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute.”
He then added: “We’re going to crash into the ground.”
The aircraft banked sharply to the right before hitting the ground and exploding. Debris struck nearby homes and flames spread across the road, according to residents.
“Debris was everywhere. Debris hit my house. Everything was on fire. The road was on fire,” Anthony Blackmon, who lives close to the crash site, told local television.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of people on the ground being injured or killed. About 600 people were evacuated from a nearby mobile home community as investigators examined the scene.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The NTSB was expected to provide an update in West Palm Beach on Monday, local time.
Gadelha obtained her private pilot’s licence in October 2023 after completing a programme through the School District of Palm Beach County’s Aviation Academy. She had first taken flying lessons at 17 and was mentored by her father, who took up aviation as a hobby.
She later graduated from the Pompano Beach branch of American Flyers and said her ambition was to become a commercial airline pilot. Her social media posts included photographs of her in the cockpit of light aircraft and flying alongside her boyfriend, who was also a pilot.
