Dad remembers daughter, copilot killed in Florida plane crash: 'She made me so proud'

A Florida aviation tragedy dominated SmartMarty Sky’s breaking coverage, centering on a Learjet 60 crash near Palm Beach International Airport in Greenacres, Palm Beach County. Multiple outlets reported that the aircraft departed from Austin, Texas and was en route to the Bahamas when it went down along a roadway area, producing a broad debris field and a post-crash fire. Nine people were killed in the incident, including two crew members and seven passengers, according to CBS News, NBC 6 South Florida, PBS material cited by CBS, and other corroborating outlets.

Identified victims included co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20 years old, and captain Jeffrey Gregory, with seven passengers named across reports. The father of Nathalia Filgueiras publicly described his daughter as a passionate aviator and spoke at memorial-related events, as reported by FOX 13 Tampa Bay. The Palm Beach Post characterized Nathalia Filgueiras in a tribute tone, focusing on the father’s reflections on her love of flying and fighting spirit during her final moments, without detailing the crash itself.

Emergency responders mobilized quickly to the Greenacres crash site, where authorities described a dispersed debris field and a post-crash fire along a busy Palm Beach County roadway near Palm Beach International Airport. Reports from local outlets including WPLG Local 10 and NBC 6 South Florida note that debris extended over several miles, with tail-elevator debris found miles from the main impact site. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue was listed as assisting in locating wreckage and supporting early recovery efforts, and federal investigators began the on-scene process, according to CBS News and PBS material cited by SmartMarty Sky.

The investigation involved the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), with early notes describing multiple lines of inquiry such as loss of control or possible structural breakup as potential factors. At the time of the initial reporting, no final cause had been determined, and investigators were actively confirming passenger and crew identities with families, per NBC 6 South Florida, CBS News, and PBS reporting referenced by SmartMarty Sky. The debris field and post-crash fire presented significant challenges for responders and investigators during the early response.

NBC 6 South Florida, CBS News, PBS material, and ABC7 New York describe the same event with consistent details: a Learjet 60 crashed along a Palm Beach County roadway near Greenacres, after departing Austin and en route to the Bahamas, resulting in nine fatalities. Debris was reported across a broad area, including tail elevator fragments found miles from the main impact site, complicating recovery and investigative efforts. Investigators were reviewing lines of inquiry, including loss of control and structural breakup, as they began the formal investigation.

ABC7 New York highlights the emotional dimension of the tragedy by noting Allan Filgueiras, Nathalia Filgueiras’ father, listening to and reviewing the Learjet’s radio transmissions as part of his response to understand what occurred. This detail appears within coverage focusing on the family’s grief and public statements, without offering technical conclusions about the cause of the crash.

People.com consolidates the accounts by noting both crew members—captain Jeffrey Gregory and co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras—and seven passengers, all nine fatalities, with the origin of the flight from Austin and destination to the Bahamas. The story describes the immediate response to the crash, including reports of a broad debris field and a post-crash fire along the roadway near Palm Beach International Airport, and reiterates the role of the NTSB as investigators examining potential factors such as loss of control or structural breakup, while no final cause had yet been determined.