📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Eric Shalov
International
20-year-old Learjet co-pilot Filgueiras called ‘Mayday’ before Florida crash
✍️ NDTV Top
🗓 03 Nov 2026, 10:45 AM
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The 20‑year‑old co‑pilot, identified as Filgueiras, transmitted a Mayday call moments before a Learjet went down in Florida, having earned her pilot licence at 17 while still a high‑school senior.
A Learjet operating over Florida crashed after the aircraft’s co‑pilot, a 20‑year‑old named Filgueiras, issued a Mayday distress call. The emergency transmission was recorded just minutes before the plane went down, prompting an immediate response from local rescue teams.
Filgueiras, who obtained her private pilot licence in 2023, was only 17 at the time and was a senior at West Boca Raton Community High School. Her early qualification made her one of the youngest licensed pilots in the United States.
Authorities from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have opened an investigation to determine the cause of the crash and to assess whether the Mayday call was prompted by mechanical failure, weather conditions, or other factors. The investigation remains ongoing as officials work to piece together the flight’s final moments.
Filgueiras, who obtained her private pilot licence in 2023, was only 17 at the time and was a senior at West Boca Raton Community High School. Her early qualification made her one of the youngest licensed pilots in the United States.
Authorities from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have opened an investigation to determine the cause of the crash and to assess whether the Mayday call was prompted by mechanical failure, weather conditions, or other factors. The investigation remains ongoing as officials work to piece together the flight’s final moments.