It’s been almost a week since the Florida Learjet crash that claimed nine lives, including 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Filguieras. Now, her father, Allan Filguieras, has spoken out, branding his daughter a “hero,” and stating he wishes he were next to her on the plane
The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation into the Learjet 60 crash in Florida last week. No cause has been determined yet, but one theory involves icing on the wings.
Nine people, including 55-year-old pilot Jeff Gregory, a family of four, and their friends and nanny, were killed. Also in the plane was 20-year-old co-pilot Nahalia Filguieras, who could be heard speaking to the air traffic control in the final moments before the plane crashed.
She would have celebrated her 21st birthday in January, but despite her young age, she had already built an impressive aviation career.
According to the NY Post, Nathalia had worked as a commercial pilot for around nine months and had already logged approximately 1,300 hours in the air.
She first trained at the Aviation and Aerospace Academy at West Boca Raton High School before completing her flight training at American Flyers in Pompano Beach.
Filguieras later became a flight instructor, hoping to one day fulfill her biggest dream of becoming an airline pilot. In fact, she learned to fly before she even got her driver’s license.
Father of 20-year-old co-pilot Nathasha Filguieras speaks out
Just days after the crash that claimed Nathalia and eight others’ lives, her mother, Camila, spoke out, saying that she had predicted her daughter would die in a plane accident.
Now the 20-year-old’s father, Allan Filguieras, has broken her silence, saying he wished he were with her daughter in the plane.
Per WPTV News, the father “struggled to hold back his tears” when speaking about his late daughter, describing her as his “soulmate.”
The two shared a passion for flying together.
“She was gifted. She was gifted, and my soulmate,” he said on Friday.
But while the family is desperately searching for answers about what happened, Allan has one thing he wants people to remember: his daughter was so much more than the tragic circumstances of her death.
Want to protect Nathasha’s reputation
Standing alongside his attorneys, Allan opened up about Nathalia’s life, her love of aviation, and the unimaginable loss that has turned his world into a living hell.
Her family has hired lawyers, although no lawsuit has been filed. Last week, Local 10 News reported that the family of co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, 20, plans to file a lawsuit.
Attorney Stuart Grossman shared that the family is not accusing anyone of wrongdoing at this stage. Instead, they want to wait for the NTSB to complete its investigation before drawing any conclusions.
While many have wanted the family to break their silence, Nathalia Filgueira’s decision to speak publicly carries deep meaning.
They want to protect Nathalia’s reputation and make sure people understand just how talented she was.
“Nathalia was beyond an average pilot; she was extraordinary,” Attorney Stuart Grossman said, per WPTV, defending her qualifications and explaining that she had performed exceptionally well in her training.
“She was at the top of her class in everything that she did, and she was perfectly qualified to be the co-pilot on this flight, despite her tender years,” he added.
Flew together for years
For Allan, Nathalia’s passion for aviation was something they had shared from the very beginning. According to the attorney, her father first introduced her to flying when she was just 12 years old.
He would take her up in the air, and it did not take long before she fell in love with aviation. Over the years, their relationship developed into something even more special.
Allan, who had once taught his daughter, eventually found himself learning from her.
“When we were flying together, I used to instruct her, but then she became my instructor,” he recalled.
Now he is left trying to understand how her life could have ended so suddenly. Since the crash, Allan has repeatedly listened to the air traffic control recordings from the aircraft’s final moments.
He admitted that he has been desperately searching for some clue that could help him understand what happened.
“I did listen to that many times, trying to find a clue in my head how that happened,” he said, adding that she was proud of his daughter, calling her a “hero.”
Allan says he wanted to be with Nathalia on the plane when it crashed
Meanwhile, he said he would’ve wanted to be next to his daughter on board the Learjet 60 as it crashed.
The question proved too much for the grieving father.
“I wanted to be by her side. Inside the plane. To help. To be by her teammates,” Allan told WPTV through tears, “I had to be next to her.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this immens tragedy. Rest in peace.
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