Woman, 20, identified as co-pilot of plane that crashed in Florida

A 20-year-old Florida woman who earned her private pilot’s license before graduating high school was identified as the co-pilot of a jet that plunged from the sky and crashed into a residential area Sunday, killing everyone on board.Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, who grew up in Palm Beach County, Florida, was serving as co-pilot on a Learjet 60 traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it went down in Palm Beach County, according to her mother and stepfather, who confirmed her role to the New York Post. Recommended Stories Filgueiras developed an interest in aviation as a child, often accompanying her father, a recreational pilot, to Boca Raton Airport to watch planes take off and land. By around age 12, she had already decided she wanted to pursue flying, her mother, Camila Corteleti, said. Filgueiras obtained her private pilot’s license at 17 in October 2023, while still a high school senior and before she had earned her driver’s license. In a CBS12 interview that year, she described her enthusiasm for pursuing an unconventional career path.“I like being different than everyone,” she said.Her mother said Filgueiras later worked for Upper Jets, a private charter company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Law enforcement personnel respond to a plane crash on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, in Palm Beach County, Florida. (AP Photo/Mark Elias) The Learjet encountered difficult weather conditions Sunday afternoon, with the pilot reporting rain, light clear ice, and moderate turbulence to air traffic controllers in Miami, according to archived radio communications.The pilot initially requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet. But shortly afterward, the crew declared a mayday as the aircraft entered a rapid descent, reporting a rate of more than 20,000 feet per minute.2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS LIVE UPDATES: LATEST NEWS, RESULTS AND ANALYSISIn the final moments of the emergency transmission, the pilot warned air traffic controllers that the plane was going to crash into the ground.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed Sunday that everyone aboard the aircraft had died. Authorities had not publicly identified the passengers as of the initial reports.