A twenty-year-old co-pilot’s frantic radio transmission before a fatal Learjet 60 crash in Palm Beach County revealed the aircraft was descending at 10,000 feet per minute, months after the identical jet received air traffic control warnings regarding turbulence.
The Sunday afternoon disaster claimed the lives of all nine people on board the private jet, registered as N722BD and serial number 60-271. TMZ identified the captain as 55-year-old Jeff Gregory, who died alongside co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras.
Previous Air Traffic Warnings Over New Jersey
Express.co.uk reported that air traffic control audio from May captures an intense exchange involving the exact same Learjet 60 while flying near Newark, New Jersey. A female pilot informed controllers that the aircraft was experiencing moderate chop and failing to hold its altitude.
The controller challenged the crew directly during the transmission, stating: “If you can’t maintain altitude, that’s not moderate. That’s severe turbulence.” When the crew again characterized the conditions as moderate chop, the controller pressed further, asking if they were encountering severe turbulence. The pilots answered in the affirmative, though it remains unverified whether the female voice on that recording belonged to Filgueiras or another aviator.
Decent Rates and Emergency Calls
National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman confirmed during a Monday press conference that the jet was traveling through temperatures of -50 degrees Fahrenheit as it encountered severe weather. Filgueiras had contacted Federal Aviation Administration controllers to request a climb to 37,000 feet to manage the ice.
Fewer than 30 seconds later, at 12:48 p.m. on Sunday, the crew issued a mayday call reporting an overspeed condition and a descent of 20,000 feet per minute. As the descent rate shifted, Filgueiras can be heard pleading for assistance, stating they were dropping 10,000 feet per minute.
Investigators from the NTSB have deployed approximately 20 personnel to examine weather patterns, air traffic recordings, flight data equipment, and the structural integrity of the jet. Chapman noted that preliminary evidence indicates the aircraft experienced some degree of breakup prior to impact.
Filgueiras earned her private pilot’s licence at age 17 before holding a driving licence, having started lessons in 2020 under the instruction of her father. By age 20, she had accumulated roughly 1,300 hours of flight experience. The NTSB’s comprehensive review of weather data, aircraft mechanical systems, and cockpit voice communications remains ongoing.
More on Palm Beach County
A privately owned Learjet 60 crashed in a residential area near Greenacres, Palm Beach County, Florida, around 12:50 p.m. ET Sunday, killing all nine people aboard. The jet had departed Austin, Texas, for North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. According to available flight tracking… pic.twitter.com/TpEUuafoyx
Audio captures air traffic control communications linked to the Learjet 60 that crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida.Nine people were on board the aircraft when it went down. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. pic.twitter.com/T2ePyS4W2w
🚨🇺🇸 “Holy f*ck, we’re out of time” 💔This is the audio from the Learjet 60 that just crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, and it's absolutely chilling.9 people were on board. Something went terribly wrong.Writer: Michaelpic.twitter.com/y3wd9XvYB7 https://t.co/WOUF5U8Wsn
🇺🇸 No wreckage, so no plane? This is what happens when a jet hits the ground at full speed.The Learjet 60 that slammed into a road in Palm Beach County, Florida yesterday, killing all 9 people on board, left behind a massive crater, a fireball and debris scattered across the…
Family members have identified the co-pilot of the Learjet 60 that crashed Sunday in Greenacres, Florida, as Nathalia Gadelha, 20, according to the New York Post. All nine people aboard were killed. The NTSB has not released the crew’s identities or qualifications, or confirmed… pic.twitter.com/RVfLS05oKR
