A private Learjet 60 crashed in a residential area of Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The crash killed all nine people on board. The private charter jet, operated by Fort Lauderdale-based firm Upper Jets, had departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas and was en route to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
Circumstances of the Crash
While flying at 35,000 feet, the aircraft reportedly encountered scattered storms and moderate to severe icing. The outside temperature was approximately −47°C. The pilots initially reported that the “light, clear ice” was manageable and requested air traffic control (ATC) permission to climb to 37,000 feet in an attempt to move above the adverse weather. However, just seconds later, a pilot issued a Mayday distress call.
The audio recording captured the crew reporting an ‘overspeed condition’ and a bank angle of 60 degrees. The crew reported that the aircraft was entering a steep dive, with its descent rate ranging from approximately 20,000 to more than 32,000 feet per minute.
The aircraft then plunged almost vertically into the ground, nose first, near the intersection of South Military Trail and 10th Avenue North in Greenacres, Florida. The impact triggered a large explosion and left a crater at the crash site.
Crew and Victim Information
The co-pilot has been identified as Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, a 20-year-old aviator from Boca Raton, Florida. Filgueiras made headlines in 2023 after earning her private pilot’s license at age 17, before obtaining her driver’s license. She had accumulated over 1,300 hours of flight time and held commercial pilot and flight instructor qualifications, along with multi-engine and instrument ratings. She had been working as a commercial pilot for nine months. According to reports, she texted her boyfriend about the icing and turbulence approximately ten minutes before the crash. Meanwhile, authorities have not yet officially released the identities of the captain or the seven passengers.
Her stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, told the New York Post that she had texted her boyfriend about the difficult flight conditions just minutes before the fatal crash.
“She texted her boyfriend, I think, at 12:40 pm and the accident was at 12:50 pm,” Corteleti said, recalling her final message.
“She just said, ‘I’ve got turbulence, I’ve got ice.’”
Despite the aircraft crashing in an area containing homes and businesses, authorities reported no deaths or injuries on the ground. The explosion severed power lines and underground water mains. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and local officials ordered the immediate evacuation of approximately 600 residents from a nearby mobile home park after burning debris blocked the entrance to the park.
