The co-pilot heard pleading for help in chilling air traffic control recordings before a Learjet burst into flames in Florida has been identified as Nathalia Gadelha, a 20-year-old pilot who earned her license while still in high school.
Gadelha’s mother, Camila, and stepfather confirmed to The Post that she was serving as co-pilot aboard the Learjet 60 traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas. The aircraft plunged into a steep dive Sunday afternoon, descending at more than 20,000 feet per minute before crashing in Palm Beach County.
Gadelha, who was raised in Palm Beach County, had previously attracted local media attention after earning her private pilot’s license at age 17 in October 2023—months before obtaining a driver’s license.
“I definitely do brag because people say, ‘Oh, you can’t drive,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I can fly,’” she told CBS12 at the time.
The West Boca Raton High School senior said she began flight training in 2020. Her father, who took up flying recreationally in 2018, also helped teach her.
Her mother frequently posted photos and videos on social media showing the family traveling together in private aircraft.
In the earlier interview, Gadelha said she had flown daily since beginning ground school. By then, she had logged 88 flight hours and passed the required knowledge exam.
CONTINUE READING: EU Chief Hints UK Would Face ‘Difficult’ Concessions to Rejoin
The School District of Palm Beach County’s Aviation Academy covered the cost of her pilot’s license after launching the program in 2023.
“I like being different than everyone, so to me I think it’s cool that like it’s not really an opportunity,” Gadelha said.
“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.
Gadelha had said she hoped to pursue a career as a commercial airline pilot.
She trained at American Flyers, a flight school based in Addison, Texas, with a location in Pompano Beach, Florida.
In a recent social media post, Gadelha uploaded a video showing herself flying with her boyfriend, Justin.
“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 in the video’s overlay text.