Step-dad of 20-year-old co-pilot killed in Florida plane crash says 'Our daughter is down there'
Warning: This article contains content which some readers may find distressing
Loved ones of the 20-year-old co-pilot who tragically died in a Florida plane crash at the weekend have spoken out.
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras was one of nine people killed after a Learjet 60 plunged from the sky and crashed into the ground before bursting into flames.
The flight, which was headed from Texas to the Bahamas, was carrying seven passengers: tech tycoon Adam Robinson, 45, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, their two young children Emma, four, and Charlie, two, and their nanny Anita Maria Cetina; as well as another couple Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr;
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Pilot Jeff Gregory, 55, and co-pilot Filgueiras were also killed in the crash.
Shocking dash-cam footage caught the moment the plane plummeted tens of thousands of feet into the ground leaving behind a huge crater in the road and scattering debris for around half a mile.
Filgueiras’ devastated step-dad Thiago Corteleti has now shared the heartbreaking reality the family is faced with in the wake of the tragedy.
“All we know is that our daughter is down there, under the ground with that airplane,” he told The Wall Street Journal.
In an interview with CBS Mornings, Filgueiras’ long-time friend, Mikaela Schluth, who has known her since middle school, said she was proud of how her friend acted during the terrifying situation.
“She was able to stay calm and give information, up until the last minute,” she said.
But she went on to say that listening to the harrowing final communication between Filgueiras and an air traffic control had been too difficult.
“It was definitely, probably the worst thing I've ever heard,” she said.
Air traffic controllers had given the pilots permission to 'deviate left and right' because of 'moderate precipitation... to the southeast.'
In the haunting audio, Filgueiras sounds panicked as she tells the ground team: “Seven two two bravo delta, we're descending 8,000... mayday mayday... we're descending 10,000ft per minute.”
Seconds later she adds: “Declaring emergency, declaring emergency, we are in an overspeed condition.”
The families of the seven passengers who died spoke out
The families of the seven passengers who died in the tragedy have since shared a heart-wrenching joint statement.
“With broken hearts, our families share that Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp, their children Emma and Charlie, Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina were among those lost aboard the flight that went down near Greenacres, Florida, on November 1,” the statement read.
“Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were the light of their lives. Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever. Their warmth, generosity and gift for making people feel welcome touched so many lives. Their loss will be felt deeply by all those who loved them and who they loved in return.
“Charmi and Rachel were full of joy and adventure. They loved their people fiercely, fully and without hesitation. From the moment they met, they were all in on each other and the life they were building. They are deeply loved, and we will miss them endlessly.
“Anita Maria cared for Emma and Charlie with tenderness and devotion, and she was truly part of the family. She showed us a legacy of unconditional love and devotion.”
The statement went on to say the families were ‘deeply grateful’ to emergency responders, investigators and ‘the Palm Beach County community for their care, and to everyone who has reached out with love’.
“Our hearts are also with the families of the pilots, who are grieving alongside us,” it added.
An investigation is ongoing
An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, with investigators saying in an update yesterday (2 November) that weather conditions were part of the focus.
According to Filgueiras’ step-dad, the co-pilot had sent a text message to her boyfriend just 10 minutes before the crash, saying: “I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice.”
Pilots and aviation experts have told LADbible that 'severe icing' and weather conditions could have caused the plane to plummet and explained exactly how it happens.
Topics: US News
Claire Reid
