Florida Jet Crash: 20-Year-Old Pilot Plunged to Earth After Lifelong Dream

Aviation began in childhood

Filgueiras grew up drawn to flying, her mother, Camila Corteleti, said. She spent time watching aircraft at Boca Raton Airport and, around age 12, told her family she hoped to become a pilot.

Her father was a recreational pilot, and the two shared flights, Corteleti said. “She loved the freedom,” her mother said, describing her daughter’s view of the world from above.

Filgueiras received her pilot’s license at 17 and accumulated over 1,300 hours in the air, according to Corteleti. She worked for Upper Jets, a charter company based in Fort Lauderdale.

Crash investigation underway

The Learjet 60 was traveling from Texas toward the Bahamas when it came down in a residential part of Palm Beach. The impact left wreckage in the street and a crater that was still smoldering.

Officials said all nine people on board died. Passenger identities were not available, and authorities said there was no apparent injury to anyone on the ground. Investigators were working to establish what caused the aircraft to fall. The article does not identify a confirmed cause.

Final radio calls reported

Archived communications with Miami air traffic controllers indicate the pilot reported rain, light clear ice and moderate turbulence before the crash. She asked whether the aircraft could climb to 37,000 feet.

Soon afterward, the pilot declared a mayday and reported a rapid descent. She said the plane was dropping at 20,000 feet per minute and warned, “We’re going to crash into the ground.” Corteleti said her daughter was the co-pilot and did not know who the pilot was. It was not clear who had control as the jet began descending, and efforts to reach Upper Jets had not immediately succeeded.