A private jet crash in a South Florida neighborhood claimed the lives of all nine people on board. One of the victims was Nathalia Gadelha, a promising 20-year-old aspiring airline pilot. She had made headlines when she obtained her private pilot’s license at 17, before earning her driver’s license.
Victim Identified as Nathalia Gadelha
Nathalia Gadelha was the copilot on the Learjet 60, which was flying from Texas to the Bahamas when it crashed in Palm Beach County. Her mother and stepfather confirmed her role in the tragedy. Gadelha grew up in Palm Beach County and earned her pilot’s license while attending West Boca Raton High School.
I definitely do brag because people say, ‘Oh, you can’t drive,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I can fly,’Gadelha told CBS12 in 2023.
She began flying in 2020, receiving lessons from her father and attended Aviation Academy through the School District of Palm Beach County. She accumulated 88 hours of flight time and later graduated from American Flyers flight school.
Crash Details and Investigation
The Learjet 60 left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, headed to North Eleuthera Airport, but crashed near Cresthaven, Florida. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recorded the crash at around 12:50 p.m. Sunday, just nine miles from Mar-a-Lago. Emergency services evacuated about 600 people from a nearby mobile home community.
Recordings from Air traffic control indicated the flight crew experienced ice accumulation and turbulence shortly before the crash. The crew declared an emergency after losing altitude rapidly.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating. No cause has been determined yet, and NTSB officials plan to update findings.
Dashcam footage recorded the jet descending nose-first, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis noted the crash’s severe impact. Local agencies are working to understand all factors leading to this disaster.
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