Stepfather of Learjet Co-Pilot Says 'Our Daughter Is Down There Under the Ground With That Airplane' as Family Faces Reality of Tragic Crash
The stepfather of Nathalia Filgueiras has opened up about their family's grief over co-pilot's horrific death.
Nov. 3 2026, Published 5:46 p.m. ET
The family and friends of the 20-year-old co-pilot who tragically died in the Florida Learjet crash have broken their silence after hearing about her harrowing final moments, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Nathalia Filgueiras' stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, spoke out on the grief her loved ones now face as they try to come to terms with the tragedy.
'The Worst Thing I've Ever Heard'
Filgueiras' close pal summed up her feelings over hearing the chilling audio.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, he said: "All we know is that our daughter is down there, under the ground with that airplane."
Childhood pal Mikaela Schluth told CBS Mornings she was incredibly proud of how Filgueiras handled the terrifying emergency, but admitted the heartbreaking audio before the crash was "the worst thing I've ever heard."
"She was able to stay calm and give information, up until the last minute," she said.
All nine people aboard the doomed aircraft were killed when the jet exploded on impact.
Entire Family Killed in Crash
Tech tycoon Adam Robinson, wife Helen and their two young kids were among those who perished in the crash.
Filgueiras, captain Jeff Gregory, tech tycoon Adam Robinson, his wife Helen, and their two young children and the family nanny perished in the crash, along with their friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.
The impact of the jet left a huge crater in the roadway and scattered wreckage across a debris field stretching around half a mile.
The harrowing audio captures the moment Filgueiras realised the aircraft was rapidly losing control.
AirtTraffic controllers in Miami had earlier warned the pilots about difficult weather conditions, giving them permission to deviate left and right to avoid precipitation.
Controllers described conditions as "pretty nasty", with moderate precipitation and turbulence reported as the jet approached the area.
Filgueiras Heard Screaming in Final Moments
Filgueiras' voice changed in tone after realizing the plane was in trouble.
Filgueiras calm tone became panicked as she realized the plane was in genuine trouble.
"Seven two two bravo delta, we're descending 8,000... mayday mayday... we're descending 10,000ft per minute," she said.
Seconds later, she said, "Declaring emergency, declaring emergency, we are in an overspeed condition."
"Descending 20,000ft per minute," she said later. "We're going to crash into the ground."
"I'm here with you, talk to me," the air traffic controller responded.
Filgueiras said, "We are descending 22,000ft, and we are banking 60 degrees."
"We're out of time," she said, before screaming in the final transmission.
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Captain Jeff Gregory, here with wife Cheryl, also died in crash.
Despite being just 20 years old, Filgueiras had an impressive 1,300 hours of flying experience under her belt. She got her private pilot’s license at just 17, before she even graduated high school.
Her sister Giulia describes her as an "amazing girl" who knew she wanted to be a pilot from the age of 12.
For now, the cause of the crash remains unclear. At a briefing on Monday, November 2, National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman confirmed that the agency will not be speculating.
"We do have some evidence that there was some breakup of the aircraft before impact. We’re still seeking to determine that,” he shared. “We may find some parts of the aircraft some distance from the crash site.”
"These are the first steps in a lengthy investigatory process," he added. "Our mission is to understand not just what happened, but why it happened, and to recommend changes to prevent it from happening again."
