Nathalia Gadelha, a 20-year-old aspiring commercial pilot, has been identified as the co-pilot aboard the Learjet 60 that crashed in Florida on Sunday, killing all nine people on board. Gadelha was identified by her mother and stepfather, according to the New York Post. The aircraft crashed in Palm Beach County on November 1 while travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.The young pilot had earned her private pilot’s licence at just 17, while still attending West Boca Raton High School in Florida. She obtained the licence before getting her driver’s licence and had spoken publicly about her ambition to pursue a career in commercial aviation.Gadelha began taking flying lessons in 2020 and learned from her father, who had also taken up flying as a recreational activity. By the time she obtained her licence in September 2023, she had logged 88 hours of flight time.Her training was supported by the Palm Beach County School District’s Aviation Academy, which funded her private pilot’s licence. She subsequently graduated from American Flyers flight school while continuing to pursue her aviation career.
Who was Nathalia Gadelha?
Gadelha first attracted attention in October 2023, when CBS12 News interviewed her about becoming a licensed pilot while still in high school.At the time, she was a 17-year-old senior at West Boca Raton High School. She had begun ground school in 2020 and completed her private pilot training through the school district’s Aviation Academy.In the interview, she spoke about the unusual experience of being able to fly an aircraft before she could drive a car.Gadelha had also shared photographs of herself in aircraft cockpits on social media. One of her posts reportedly featured a Learjet 60, the same type of aircraft involved in Sunday’s fatal crash.A recent social media post also described her and her boyfriend as young pilots who had obtained multiple aviation qualifications before turning 21.
What happened in the Learjet 60 crash?
The Learjet 60 was travelling from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas when it crashed in Palm Beach County on November 1.The aircraft went into a steep descent before hitting the ground and catching fire. All nine people aboard were killed.Air traffic control recordings from the aircraft’s final moments captured the crew reporting icing conditions, precipitation and turbulence. The pilots also requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet in an apparent attempt to find better flying conditions.Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft losing altitude at an alarming rate, with its descent eventually exceeding 20,000 feet per minute.The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The cause has not yet been established.