Father of Florida crash co-pilot, 20, says her final radio calls show 'she's tough'

Allan Filgueiras has played the recording back many times. Each time, he hears his 20-year-old daughter Nathalia calmly reporting ice on the wings, then declaring an emergency, then screaming that the plane is going to crash — and each time, he comes away with the same feeling: pride.

I did listen to that many times trying to find a clue. In my head. How'd that happen? And wow, she's tough.— Allan Filgueiras, father of co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras

Speaking publicly for the first time since the crash, Allan Filgueiras — himself a pilot who helped teach his daughter to fly — held a news conference Friday alongside family attorney Stuart Grossman. He spoke about Nathalia with grief that he could barely contain and a father's fierce insistence that she met the moment.

She made me so proud. She showed me what it is to be a hero. Once you see that coming, a lot of the big boys — military or whatever — they can't handle it. But she was the one in there, fighting until the very last minute.— Allan Filgueiras, father of co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras

The Learjet 60 crashed around 12:50 p.m. on Sunday in a residential area near Greenacres in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine people on board. The plane had departed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was bound for North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas. It left a massive crater in the roadway and scattered debris across the surrounding area. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the scene: 'It looked like a missile going down,' according to CNN.

In the air traffic control recording captured by LiveATC.net, Nathalia Filgueiras can first be heard calmly reporting ice buildup and an outside air temperature of -47 degrees Celsius, as well as moderate turbulence that bounced the aircraft by up to 700 feet. The situation deteriorated rapidly.

Declare an emergency 722-Bravo-Delta. We are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute!— Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, co-pilot

We're going to crash into the ground!— Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, co-pilot

Flight tracking data from ADS-B Exchange shows the jet plummeted 27,000 feet in one minute just before tracking was cut off, according to CNN. The plane was descending at approximately 450 feet per second.

Her father said he wishes he could have done the impossible.

I wanted to be by her side. Inside the plane. To help.— Allan Filgueiras, father of co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras

Speaking in Spanish, he added: 'For the family — it's like having the heart torn from my chest. I have to find a way to go on living.' He said he is determined to hold together for his wife and three other children. 'Nathalia doesn't want to see her father falling apart,' he said. 'I'm going to find a way to make her proud.'

The news conference had a second purpose beyond tribute. The family, according to Grossman, wanted to push back against online criticism questioning whether Nathalia had sufficient experience to occupy the co-pilot's seat of a high-performance business jet.

The purpose of this is to preserve not just her memory but her reputation. She was at the top of her class in everything that she did, and she was perfectly qualified to be the co-pilot on this flight, despite her tender years.— Stuart Grossman, family attorney

Born in Boca Raton, Florida, into a Brazilian household, Nathalia Filgueiras was first taken flying by her father at age 12. She earned her private pilot's license at 17 while a senior at West Boca Raton Community High School, through a Palm Beach County School District aviation academy program that paid for her training, according to NBC News. She went on to accumulate more than 1,300 flight hours and completed the training required to earn her commercial pilot's license and Learjet certification.

She said, 'Dad, can you believe that I would pay for this, but they're actually paying me?'— Allan Filgueiras, recalling his daughter's words

The father described a relationship that evolved from teacher and student into something more equal. 'When we flew together, I used to instruct her. And then, she became my instructor,' he said, smiling at the memory. She told him: 'Dad, I'm not being as tough on you as you were on me.'

Retired airline pilot John Cox, now chief executive of Safety Operating Systems, said earlier this week that his own career began at age 19 — similarly to Nathalia's — and that earning the co-pilot's seat on a Learjet 60 at 20 was no small achievement.

To be in the right seat of a Lear 60, she had to impress somebody, because that's a good ride. I mean, that's great. I know she loved it.— John Cox, retired airline pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems

One of Nathalia's flight instructors, Chris Kirk, told TODAY.com that while she had remarkably good innate flying skills, she was known for showing up 'overprepared' to her practical tests, according to NBC News.

The plane's captain, 55-year-old Jeff Gregory, who had previously worked for East Coast Jets, is believed to have been at the controls in the aircraft's final minutes, according to 1News. The other seven people killed were passengers: technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson; his wife, Helen Sharp; their children Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2; their caregiver Anita Maria Cetina; and traveling companions Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr, according to family statements cited by NBC News and CNN.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which sent 20 investigators to South Florida, has said the investigation faces significant challenges. Investigators have noted evidence that parts of the aircraft broke off before impact — tail pieces were found miles from the crash site — and are still excavating the crater to recover major wreckage. Weather, including icing and a nearby storm cell, is a major focus of the inquiry. The cause of the crash has not been determined.

We're not making allegations against anybody at this time. We're going to do the right thing. We're going to listen to what the government uncovers. Then we'll have our experts look at it and say they agree or not.— Stuart Grossman, family attorney

Why it matters — The crash killed nine people and the ongoing NTSB investigation — complicated by mid-air breakup and a deep impact crater — may reshape understanding of icing risks and co-pilot qualification standards for private jets.

Reported by pbs.org, fox13news.com, nbcnews.com, 1news.co.nz, cnn.com