Flight instructor pays tribute to co-pilot killed in Florida crash

The flight instructor of 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras has paid tribute to her after she died in a plane crash in Florida on Sunday. The New York Post reported that her flight instructor, Chris Kirk, described her as the most naturally gifted pilot he had taught in 40 years of teaching. The Daily Mail and the New York Post both reported that Kirk said Filgueiras aced all of her flying exams. [1][2]

The New York Post reported that Filgueiras earned her pilot license while in high school, before she was able to drive. The Daily Mail reported that the Learjet she was co-piloting alongside 55-year-old Jeff Gregory lost control and crashed near West Palm Beach. According to the Daily Mail, the aircraft exploded into a fireball, killing all nine people on board. [1][2]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, all nine people on board the Learjet 60 were killed when the flight from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas crashed in Palm Beach County on Sunday. Filgueiras had sent a text message to her boyfriend about ice and turbulence ten minutes before the crash. FTMQ News also reported earlier that cockpit audio captured a pilot reciting the Lord's Prayer moments before the aircraft hit the ground. [7][8]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. [7][8]