Father of co-pilot killed in Greenacres crash speaks out

Allan Filgueiras stood with his attorneys in Greenacres, Florida, on Friday morning to discuss the death of his daughter, Natalia. The 20-year-old served as the co-pilot on the Learjet that crashed on Sunday. Filgueiras stated that his reason for speaking was to share details about his daughter and her role in the final moments of the flight.

The crash occurred on South Military Trail, adjacent to a mobile home park. All nine individuals on board died. The victims included pilot Jeff Gregory, who was 55, and the co-pilot. The passenger manifest listed a family of four from Austin, including two children aged 4 and 2, their babysitter, and two friends. Filgueiras told reporters he has listened to the audio recording of the flight's end multiple times. He described hearing his daughter communicate with air traffic control while Gregory attempted to manage the aircraft.

“Once you see that coming, a lot of the big boys, military or whatever, they can’t handle it, and she was the one ’til the last minute fighting,” Filgueiras said. He added that he listened to the recording to understand the sequence of events and noted that his daughter remained engaged until the end. Stuart Grossman, the attorney representing Filgueiras, stated that Natalia was the top of her class and perfectly qualified for the role despite her age.

The impact of the crash created a large crater, which later filled with water due to heavy rainfall. Investigators working at the scene reported that weather conditions complicated their efforts to retrieve debris from the site. The National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation into the cause of the accident.

Filgueiras, who is also a pilot, said he often flew with his daughter. He recalled her telling him she was surprised to be paid for a job she loved so much. As he spoke, he became emotional, describing Natalia as his soulmate and a hero. He expressed a desire to be by her side in the plane to help her. “She made me so proud. She showed me what it is to be a hero,” he said.

As of Friday afternoon, no lawsuit had been filed in connection to the fiery wreck. Filgueiras said he would try to stay strong for his other three children and his wife. He cited his daughter's example as a motivation to find a way to make her proud.