Doomed Learjet co-pilot identified as woman, 20, as male pilot heard praying during final seconds before crash that killed nine

The co-pilot of a small plane which crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, has been identified as a 20-year-old woman. Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras has been named as one of the co-pilots in the fatal crash which took the lives of nine people. Shocking dash cam footage captured the moment the Learjet 60 craft plunged 34,000 feet before crashing into the ground just before 1pm local time. Ms Filgueiras, who gained her pilot’s licence aged just 17, was said by family members to have been at the controls of the plane when it crashed. The young aviator, who grew up in Palm Beach County, got her private pilot’s license in October 2023, before she had obtained her driver’s license. Ms Filgueiras began pilot lessons in 2020, but was also taught by her dad, who learned flying for fun in 2018. The private jet had taken off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was headed to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. The 20-year-old could be heard pleading for help in harrowing air traffic control audio released after the crash. Air traffic control audio from the plane’s final moments captured the pilot reciting part of the Lord’s Prayer as the aircraft lost control. In the audio recording, a man can be heard saying: "Who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." Ms Filgueiras then declared "mayday, mayday," telling air traffic control that the plane was suddenly descending at a rate of 10,000 feet per minute. Seconds later, Ms Filgueiras becomes more panicked as she declared an emergency, and the rate of descent had accelerated to "20,000 feet per minute", banking at "60 degrees". LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Ms Filgueiras’s mother, Camila, told the New York Post that her daughter had been working as a commercial pilot for just nine months. She had also texted her boyfriend, Justin, just 10 minutes before the plane crashed. Camila’s husband, Thiago Corteleti, told the New York Post: "She just said, 'I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice'." Her mother told the New York Post: "Everybody was so impressed with her. "They hired her because they knew how good she was and how much she loved it. "I know if she could pick a way to go, this would be her way to go, but I didn’t want it to be so soon." US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed all nine people died on board the plane following the crash. Officials have not yet released the identities of the remaining victims, and are expected to provide further details at a press conference. Follow related topics: