“Have a little grace”: Top Chef host slams trolls criticizing Florida Learjet female co-pilot for tragic crash that killed 9Pallavi K Tue, November 3, 2026 at 7:56 AM UTC
Plane Crashes Near Palm Beach, Florida ©Getty
On Sunday, a Bombardier Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, killing all nine aboard, including co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras. She was 20.
Filgueiras became a licensed pilot in 2023, when she was a 17-year-old senior at the West Boca Raton Community High School. Back then, she appeared on CBS12 News and spoke of her flying passion. Amid the fatal plane crash, people online have dug up her interview and expressed doubts about her piloting skills.
However, Top Chef host Tom Colicchio wrote underneath one such Threads post, trolling Nathalia:
“Have a little grace.”
Top Chef host calls out trolls about the Florida crash co-pilot. (Image via Threads)
On Sunday, Nathalia Filgueiras was heard sending a distress call to Florida air traffic control using the words, “Mayday, mayday.” She also said that the jet was “descending 10,000 feet per minute” and they were losing control.
Her last words were that they were “gonna crash into the ground, 722 Bravo Delta” before screaming and plummeting to death near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in the Greenacres area of Palm Beach County. She reportedly texted her boyfriend minutes before the crash, telling him about the turbulence.
More about Nathalia Filgueiras amid the fatal Florida plane crash
According to NBC News, Nathalia Filgueiras was born and raised in a Brazilian immigrant family in Boca Raton, Florida. She began taking flying lessons as a young girl from her father, Allan Filgueiras, who is also a pilot.
Later, in high school, she earned her private pilot license through the school’s aviation academy, paid for by Palm Beach County School District and eventually became a certified instructor at 19.
Her older sister, Giulia Filgueiras, told the outlet:
“Flying was her biggest passion. That was her dream, to become a pilot, since she was very young.”
Nathalia is survived by her sister Giulia, her mother Camila, her father Allan, her stepfather Thiago Corteleti, and a younger sister.
Her longtime friend Nicole Tarantino, 21, also told NBC News:
“She was a beautiful person inside and out. When it came to picking colleges, she was looking at aviation schools. She was dedicated. She was only 20 years old doing all of that, and she excelled at it. She was a light, and she did what she loved.”
Another friend, Mikaela Schluth, told CBS News that Nathalia was like “sunshine” and added:
“I'm definitely heartbroken that I'm going to live the rest of my life without her.”
In a 2023 interview that has now gone viral, Nathalia Filgueiras stated:
“I like being different than everyone. To me, I think it’s like cool… Some people think it’s weird that I can fly planes, but I can’t drive a car. I mean, I can, but I think it’s really funny and now I want my license really bad.”
On Sunday morning, Captain Jeff Gregory, 55, took off on a flight from Texas with Nathalia Filgueiras as his first officer, or right-seat, second-in-command co-pilot. Her role was to help the pilot navigate and operate the flight. They were on their way to the Bahamas. Captain Gregory’s family revealed he previously worked for private jet charter company East Coast Jets.
Seven passengers who died in the Florida crash were identified as Texas-based tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, and their two children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2. Others include their nanny and two friends: Rachel Reed, Charmi Fehr, and Anita Maria Cetina.
The National Transportation Safety Board investigators said during a press briefing on Monday that they were still looking into the cause of the Florida crash. An NTSB member named Tom Chapman revealed that the Learjet 60 took off at 10:30 AM, and around 12:47 PM, the crew reported experiencing moderate turbulence and “clear ice” at 35,000 feet.
Both Nathalia Filgueiras and Captain Jeff Gregory requested to ascend to 37,000 feet. Despite getting a green signal to do so, the plane began plummeting thirty seconds later until it crashed.
In the final moments, the captain was heard reciting the Lord’s Prayer, “Who art in heaven, hallowed be the name,” according to the cockpit audio now circulating online.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told reporters on Monday:
“Obviously, this was a cataclysmic plane crash. It looked like a missile going down. It left a big crater on the side of the road. I think people will recognize this as a major tragedy.”
Both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration are conducting a probe into the tragedy.
Source: Crime
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