Allan Filgueiras, father of 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, the first officer of the Learjet that crashed Sunday in Florida, said after listening to recordings of his daughter’s conversations with air traffic control just before the crash that he is “impressed by how tough she was.” It was her father, also a pilot, who instilled in her a love of flying.
The crash happened last Sunday, Nov. 1. The private jet plunged onto Palm Spring Street in West Palm Beach County, Florida. A video circulating online shows the aircraft slamming into the ground at tremendous speed near passing cars.
The victims included tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their two young children and the family’s nanny, Ana María Ramírez Cetina. Also killed were 55-year-old Capt. Jeff Gregory, who was at the controls during the descent, and co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras. Nine people died in all.
“I’ve listened to it many times, trying to find a clue. The question is still in my head: How did this happen? And I’m impressed by how tough she was,” Filgueiras said, holding back tears.
According to the radio recordings, the jet’s 20-year-old first officer told controllers about growing ice buildup on the aircraft after it entered a storm area. The plane experienced severe turbulence and abrupt altitude changes of about 200 meters (about 650 feet). When the Learjet began to descend at a very high speed, Filgueiras declared an emergency.
“We are declaring an emergency, 722-Bravo-Delta. We are exceeding the allowable speed and descending at 20,000 feet per minute!” she told controllers.
Allan Filgueiras stressed that his daughter tried to relay information about the situation on board until the end.
“She showed me what it means to be a hero. She was there until the last minute, fighting,” he said. He added that her death is a loss the family finds hard to accept.
“It’s like having your heart torn out of your chest. I have to find a way to go on living,” he said in Spanish.
The young pilot’s father held a news conference partly to respond to allegations circulating online about his daughter’s experience and qualifications. According to the family, Nathalia Filgueiras had more than 1,300 flight hours and had completed the extensive training required for a commercial pilot’s license. Her attorney, Stuart Grossman, stressed that the young woman had performed very well in her training and was properly prepared to serve as first officer.
John Cox, a retired airline pilot and head of Safety Operating Systems, also gave a positive assessment of her skills. He noted that the co-pilot’s seat in a Learjet 60 requires appropriate qualifications, and said he began flying professionally at age 19.
Ed. JŁ
Source: Słoneczne Radio
