Nathalia Filguerias, the 20-year-old co-pilot who was killed in the fatal plane crash in Palm Beach County, Florida, on November 1, is being hailed as a hero.
Nathalia’s father, Allan Filgueiras, spoke out for the first time since the devastating tragedy that claimed the life of his daughter and eight others, telling “Good Morning America” that he has listened to the final radio transmissions.
A Grieving Father
Nathalia was sitting alongside pilot Jeff Gregory in the cockpit of the ill-fated Learjet, which was heading to the Bahamas from Austin, Texas. Shortly after news of the crash began to circulate, the young flight enthusiast’s final radio transmissions was shared online.
It was “extremely painful” to listen to the recordings, Allan told ABC News’ Rhiannon Ally in an interview that aired on Thursday.
“It felt like she was alone, trying to recover an aircraft that … was un-recoverable,” Allan said of his daughter.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilots reported that they were experiencing icing on the aircraft and “moderate turbulence” before experiencing a rapid descent from 35,000 feet.
Nathalia can be heard on the transmission, remaining calm while communicating the issues to air traffic controllers.
Both pilots and seven passengers — later identified as Anita Maria Cetina, Charmi Fehr, Rachael Reed, Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two young children, Emma and Charlie — were killed instantly.
“I need some answers to try to find peace,” Allan added, calling his daughter “gifted.” “There is no age to exercise a gift, and she did. She was gifted.”
While the investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing, Allan has hired his own legal team to try to find answers.
His attorneys, Andrew Yaffa and Stuart Grossman, are looking into maintenance records for the 22-year-old twin-engine Learjet 60, ABC News reported.
“I want to hear what the NTSB has to say,” he said. “Why did they go where they went? Flying a jet, you have so many resources. You had 20 minutes, you had 30 minutes, and you go around the weather. And she was so responsible. She was not a cowboy-style pilot. … So why they didn’t go around? What made them go through the routes that they went? I have a lot of questions.”
Father of Learjet Co-Pilot, 20, Who Died in Florida Crash Speaks Out