Obtained pilot licence at age of 17, tragic end at 20: Heartbreaking story of Nathalia

FLORIDA: Nathalia Gadelha, the co-pilot who died when a private jet crashed in Florida recently, had made headlines for obtaining her pilot's licence while still in high school. She was just 20 when she lost her life, but had already achieved a remarkable milestone by earning her private pilot's licence at the age of 17. Nathalia achieved this feat while studying in her final year at West Boca Raton Community High School.

She had attracted attention from local media for obtaining a pilot's licence even before getting her driving licence. Nathalia began flight training in 2020, with her father also helping her with the lessons. She got the opportunity to undergo pilot training through her school's aviation academy. Reports said she had logged 88 flight hours while still in high school.

Nathalia later began working as a commercial pilot. According to her family, she had around 1.300 hours of flying experience. She had started working as a commercial pilot just nine months before the accident. The Learjet 60 was flying from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when it crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Before the crash, the cockpit crew had informed Air Traffic Control about ice building up on the aircraft, along with strong winds and turbulence. The co-pilot later issued a 'Mayday' call, reporting that the aircraft was rapidly losing altitude. Communication records show that the aircraft was descending at a rate of 10,000 feet per minute, which later increased to 20,000 feet per minute. The final communication moments before the aircraft hit the ground were particularly tragic.

Meanwhile, reports said that although Nathalia had a licence to fly aircraft, she was not authorised to take command of the jet. She was serving as the co-pilot at the time of the accident, while another pilot was in command of the aircraft. Her family said Nathalia had dreamed of becoming a pilot from a young age and worked hard to make that dream come true.

The exact cause of the crash has not yet been officially confirmed. Investigators are examining several factors, including ice accumulation on the aircraft and weather conditions. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the accident.