Horrific Final Audio Reveals Desperate Moments of Florida Co-Pilot Before Fatal Crash

POLICY WIRE — Palm Beach County, Florida — A close friend of the co-pilot who perished in Sunday’s Florida aviation accident described the air traffic control recordings of the final moments as the most harrowing sounds she has ever experienced.

In the recordings, 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras is heard reporting that the Learjet 60, piloted alongside 55-year-old captain Jeffrey Gregory, was dropping at a terrifying rate. Filgueiras alerted controllers that the aircraft was descending at 10,000 feet per minute while issuing multiple mayday calls.

The radio transmissions became increasingly dire as the crew declared an emergency, reporting an overspeed condition and a 20,000 foot per minute descent. The jet was en route from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it crashed, claiming the lives of all nine individuals on board.

Mikaela Schluth, who had known Filgueiras since middle school, expressed deep admiration for her friend’s composure. Schluth noted that Filgueiras remained calm and continued providing vital flight data right until the very end.

Federal investigators are currently examining whether the crew fully grasped the approaching storm system or if the aircraft’s horizontal stabilizer failed, which would result in a total loss of control. Meteorological records indicate the plane flew into a rapidly developing thunderstorm just before the crew reported severe turbulence and icing.

While the Learjet 60 is typically equipped with weather radar, pilots generally seek to bypass storm cells to avoid the associated hazards. The NTSB is now prioritizing the recovery of the cockpit voice recorder to reconstruct the sequence of events preceding the impact.

Timothy Monville, the lead NTSB investigator, noted that retrieving major wreckage from the impact crater on the road presents a significant challenge for the team. However, official Sumwalt expressed confidence that investigators will identify the root cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future tragedies.

The victims include Austin-based couple Adam and Helen Sharp and their children, four-year-old Emma and two-year-old Charlie. Other those killed were Rachael Reed, Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina. Their families described the parents as devoted, remembered Charmi and Rachel as full of joy, and honored Anita for her legacy of unconditional love.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)