The copilot of a private jet that crashed into a South Florida neighborhood Sunday, killing all nine people aboard, was identified as a 20-year-old aspiring commercial airline pilot who earned her pilot’s license before she obtained a driver’s license, according to a report.
Nathalia Gadelha’s mother and stepfather told the New York Post that she was serving as copilot aboard the Learjet 60 when it went down in a Palm Beach County residential area. The aircraft was flying from Texas to the Bahamas.
Gadelha, a Palm Beach County native, first attracted attention in 2023 after earning her private pilot’s license at age 17 while she was a student at West Boca Raton High School.
Nathalia Gadelha is pictured during an interview with West Palm Beach, Florida, news outlet WPEC that aired on Oct. 24, 2023. (WPEC)
“I definitely do brag because people say, ‘Oh, you can’t drive,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I can fly,’” she told local station CBS12 in 2023.
In this photo from social media, Nathalia Gadelha stands outside a small aircraft on Oct. 3, 2024. (Threads/itsnatfilg)
She started flight training in 2020 and also received instruction from her father, who had taken up recreational flying in 2018, the outlet reported.
According to the 2023 report, Gadelha logged 88 hours in the air while working toward her private pilot’s license. Her training was funded by the School District of Palm Beach County’s Aviation Academy.
In this photo from social media, Nathalia Gadelha is pictured in a cockpit on Nov. 3, 2025. (Threads/itsnatfilg)
The young pilot later graduated from American Flyers, a flight school headquartered in Addison, Texas, which also operates a location in Pompano Beach, Florida, the Post reported.
During her interview with CBS12, Gadelha said her goal was to become a commercial airline pilot.
In this photo from social media, Nathalia Gadelha is pictured in the cockpit of an aircraft on April 10, 2025. (Threads/itsnatfilg)
In a recent social media post cited by the Post, Gadelha shared video of herself flying with her boyfriend, Justin, and celebrated the aviation milestones they had reached at a young age.
“How often do you see 2 pilots under 21 with a commercial, multi-engine, instrument, CFI/CFI-I,” she wrote, pointing to their commercial and multiengine qualifications, instrument ratings and flight-instructor certifications.
The Learjet 60 took off from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas when it crashed near Cresthaven, Florida, at about 12:50 p.m. Sunday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
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A Learjet 60 slammed into a South Florida neighborhood Sunday afternoon, erupting into a massive fireball just nine miles from Mar-a-Lago. (Aki Kuusisto via Storyful)
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed Sunday afternoon that all nine people aboard the private jet died in the crash.
Emergency crews shut down Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, warning the public to avoid the area as flames consumed the wreckage. (Aki Kuusisto via Storyful)
Recordings of air traffic control communications captured by LiveATC.net showed the crew reporting ice buildup and turbulence before the aircraft began a rapid descent, The Associated Press reported.
Flames rise following an aircraft incident in Palm Beach County, Florida. (Eduin Cruz/via Reuters)
“We have light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” a pilot told controllers.
The crew subsequently requested permission to climb another 2,000 feet before declaring an emergency as the aircraft plunged toward the ground.
“We’re descending 8,000 — mayday, mayday — we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute,” a pilot radioed, according to the AP.
“We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute,” the pilot continued, before warning, “We’re going to crash into the ground.”
A Learjet 60 crashed into a South Florida neighborhood Sunday afternoon. (Palm Beach County Fire Rescue)
Dashcam footage captured the jet plunging nose-first into the neighborhood, as News Media previously reported.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described the crash as “cataclysmic.”
The crash also forced the evacuation of approximately 600 people from a nearby mobile home community, according to local officials.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The cause has not been determined, and NTSB officials are expected to provide an update Monday.