A 20-year-old co-pilot sent her boyfriend a text about what was happening during a flight, never knowing that the message would become one of the last known glimpses into her final minutes.
Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras was aboard a Learjet 60 that crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on November 1, killing all nine people on board.
Nathalia texted her boyfriend, who is also a pilot, at around 12:40 p.m. She told him about turbulence and ice conditions affecting the aircraft.
Just 10 minutes later, at approximately 12:50 p.m., the jet crashed.
Her stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, said Nathalia remained in contact with loved ones and air traffic control until the aircraft went down. The young aviator had accumulated around 1,300 hours of flight experience and frequently flew with her boyfriend.
Nathalia had pursued her passion for aviation from a young age. She earned her private pilot's license at just 17, even before obtaining her driver's license. Her family said she dreamed of building a career in aviation.
The aircraft had departed Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas when the crew reported icing and moderate turbulence to air traffic controllers. The situation quickly worsened, and the crew declared an emergency as the jet began descending rapidly.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Although icing and turbulence were reported, investigators have not yet established the cause.
For Nathalia's loved ones, the text she sent shortly before the crash is now a painful reminder of how quickly everything changed.