20-year-old co-pilot died in Florida Learjet breakup that killed nine
The aircraft suffered an in-flight breakup after reporting icing, scattering debris across a 1.2-mile area in Palm Beach County.
By Lina Lewis ·
A 20-year-old co-pilot was killed Sunday when a private Learjet 60 broke apart and crashed in South Florida, according to her family. The aircraft was carrying nine people when it impacted the ground, killing all aboard. The flight was en route from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.
The plane departed Austin at 10:37 a.m. The crew reported icing and turbulence at 12:47 p.m. and requested a climb to 55,000 feet. Less than 30 seconds after that request, the aircraft entered a rapid descent and issued a Mayday call. Flight-tracking data showed the jet descending at a rate exceeding 20,000 feet per minute before it struck the ground near Military Trail.
National Transportation Safety Board investigator Timothy Monville said preliminary evidence indicates the plane broke up before impact. The NTSB is investigating icing as a potential factor. The crash scattered debris across a 1.2-mile area of Palm Beach County. Hundreds of residents from 77 nearby mobile homes were forced to evacuate. One man on the ground was injured. Mayor Sara Baxter declared a county emergency.
Nathalia Gadelha was the co-pilot. Her mother and stepfather told the New York Post that she began flight lessons in 2020 under the guidance of her father. She earned her private pilot license at age 17 while attending West Boca Raton High School. The school district's Aviation Academy funded her training. She later graduated from American Flyers flight school while pursuing a career as a commercial airline pilot.
In a 2023 interview, Gadelha stated she had logged 88 hours in the air. She reported earning multiple aviation qualifications alongside her boyfriend before turning 21. Authorities have not yet released the names of the remaining seven victims.
NTSB Member Tom Chapman is scheduled to brief the media Monday at 1 p.m. EST from the Emergency Operations Center in West Palm Beach. He will detail the investigative process and planned on-scene activities. The NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration are leading the joint investigation. The NTSB has urged witnesses with photos or video to email witness@ntsb.gov and has cautioned the public not to disturb the debris field.
The crash occurred in a neighborhood near a mobile home park. The twin-engine business jet erupted into a massive fireball upon impact. Air traffic control audio captured the final moments of the flight. The NTSB is the lead agency for the investigation into the in-flight breakup.
