Nathalia Gadelha, a 20-year-old aspiring commercial pilot, has been identified by her mother and stepfather as the co-pilot who died in a private jet crash in Palm Beach County, Florida. She was one of nine people aboard the Learjet 60 when it crashed Sunday and caught fire, according to the New York Post.
Gadelha earned her private pilot’s license at 17 while attending West Boca Raton High School. She began flight lessons in 2020 and learned to fly with guidance from her father. Her training was funded through her school district’s Aviation Academy, and she later graduated from American Flyers flight school while working toward a career as a commercial airline pilot.
In a 2023 interview, Gadelha said she had already logged 88 flight hours. She later shared that she and her boyfriend had obtained multiple aviation qualifications before turning 21.
The aircraft was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it entered a steep descent. Flight data showed the jet was dropping at more than 20,000 feet per minute before it struck the ground near a mobile home park and erupted in flames.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
Sources: TMZ.