A longtime friend of the 20-year-old co-pilot of the Learjet that crashed in Florida on Sunday has spoken out about hearing her pal’s haunting final words.
The co-pilot — 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras — gave a desperate mayday call to air traffic control after the Learjet 60 started dropping over Palm Beach County, Florida, and began to nosedive.
“722 Bravo Delta, we’re descending 8,000 Mayday, Mayday, we’re descending 10,000 feet per minute!” Filgueiras called over the radio.
“It was definitely, probably the worst thing I’ve ever heard,” Mikaela Schluth, who knew Filgueiras since middle school, told CBS Mornings.
The terrified co-pilot kept updating ATC on their speed and altitude before declaring they were about to “crash into the ground” and were “out of time” — moments before the jet exploded on the ground.
Here’s the latest on the fatal Learjet crash in Florida
- Learjet co-pilot in fatal Florida crash ID’d as 20-year-old who got her license in high school
- Florida LearJet crash victims ID’d as tech entrepreneur, toddler kids, wife and nanny
- Doomed Learjet copilot Nathalia Filgueiras texted boyfriend just minutes before deadly crash
- NTSB reveals chilling details of Florida Learjet crash as agency probes Nathalia Filgueiras’ role in incident
“I’m just so proud of how she handled it and was able to stay calm and give information,” Schluth told the outlet, praising her friend’s professionalism while facing mortal danger.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
