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Learjet Co-Pilot Identified After Devastating Crash
The 20-year-old co-pilot killed in Sunday’s catastrophic Learjet crash in South Florida has been identified as Nathalia Gadelha, a promising young aviator who earned her pilot’s license while still in high school and dreamed of flying commercial airliners.
Gadelha was among nine people aboard the Learjet 60 that plunged into a Palm Beach County neighborhood Sunday afternoon, erupting into flames and leaving no survivors.
Her mother, Camila, and stepfather confirmed her identity to the New York Post, revealing that the young pilot was aboard the aircraft traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.
The heartbreaking revelation comes as investigators examine the plane’s final moments, including chilling air traffic control recordings capturing the crew’s desperate attempts to regain control.
The aircraft reportedly entered a terrifying descent exceeding 20,000 feet per minute before striking the ground in Palm Beach County.
Video showed the jet diving toward a residential area before crashing in a massive fireball, sending thick black smoke into the sky.
But behind the devastating footage was a young woman whose passion for aviation had already captured attention years before the tragedy.
Gadelha, who grew up in Palm Beach County, made local headlines in October 2023 after earning her private pilot’s license at just 17 years old.
At the time, she was a senior at West Boca Raton High School and had accomplished something extraordinary. She could legally pilot an airplane before obtaining her driver’s license.
During an interview with CBS12, the teenager proudly joked about her unusual accomplishment.
ATC AUDIO: Final moments of the Learjet 60 crew before the aircraft crashed in West Palm Beach, Florida, killing all 9 people on board. https://t.co/eYFJUiNsU7
— WBC24 (@WBC24News) November 1, 2026
“I definitely do brag because people say, ‘Oh, you can’t drive,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I can fly,’” she said.
Her aviation journey began in 2020 when she started taking flying lessons, following in the footsteps of her father, who had learned to fly recreationally in 2018.
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Gadelha quickly developed a passion for flying, dedicating herself to ground school, flight training and accumulating the hours necessary to earn her license.
By the time she received her private pilot certification, she had completed 88 hours of flight time and passed the required knowledge examination.
Her achievement was made possible in part through the School District of Palm Beach County’s Aviation Academy, which covered the cost of her pilot’s license after launching the program in 2023.
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Gadelha later graduated from American Flyers, a flight training school headquartered in Addison, Texas, with another location in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Even as a teenager, she made clear that flying was more than a hobby.
Her ultimate goal was to become a commercial airline pilot.
“I like being different than everyone, so to me I think it’s cool that like it’s not really an opportunity,” she said during her earlier interview.
“I just didn’t do it, and this is how it ended up. But I think it’s cool. Some people think that it’s weird that I can fly planes, but I can’t drive a car, I mean I can but, a lot of people think it’s funny. I think it’s funny, and I now want my [driver’s] license really bad,” she added.
Her enthusiasm for aviation continued beyond high school.
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In a recent social media post, Gadelha shared footage of herself flying alongside her boyfriend, Justin, who was also pursuing a career in aviation.
“How often do you see 2 pilots under 21 with a commercial, multi-engine, instrument, CFI/CFI-I [Certified Flight Instructor/Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument],” she wrote.
The post reflected how far the young pilot had progressed since earning her first license three years earlier.
Sunday’s tragedy brought that promising career to a devastating end.
Air traffic control recordings captured the Learjet crew reporting dangerous flight conditions before declaring an emergency as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude.
The pilots reportedly struggled with turbulence, icing and precipitation before the jet entered its fatal descent.
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Authorities have not determined what caused the aircraft to lose control, and investigators have not established whether weather conditions or another factor was responsible.
All nine people aboard the plane were killed when it crashed into a roadway in Palm Beach County.
