Learjet co-pilot, 20, was 'most naturally gifted pilot' instructor taught in 40-year career

Learjet co-pilot, 20, was 'most naturally gifted pilot' instructor taught in 40-year career The Learjet co-pilot's former instructor and mentor shared a crushing tribute to Nathalia Gadelha Filguerias, following her death in this weekend's plane crash in Florida, saying she was 'born to fly' The young co-pilot of the private jet which crashed this weekend has been described as 'the most naturally gifted pilot' her instructor ever taught, 'acing' her flight exams before the tragedy. Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras died on Sunday afternoon after the Learjet 60 plane she was co-piloting with Jeff Gregory, 55, exploded on impact as it hit the ground in Palm Beach. The 20-year-old was "without a doubt the most naturally gifted pilot I have ever taught, and I have been teaching for 40 years", her former instructor and mentor, Chris Kirk, has now said. The flight instructor took to social media to share a touching message about Nathalia, writing: "That young lady was born to fly!' he posted on Facebook on Wednesday. "There was not a check ride that the examiner was not blown away." Federal authorities are still investigating the tragedy, which saw the jet tumble from tens of thousands of feet in the sky into a West Palm Beach neighbourhood, narrowly avoiding a mobile home community. The plane exploded into a fireball, leaving a gaping chasm in the road, and has forced hundreds of people to evacuate as they report horrific scenes of 'body parts' strewn across their homes. All nine people on board died in the crash. The Daily Mail has reported that Mr Kirk then shared how when Nathalia did her rating to pilot a Learjet, she had less than 1,100 hours "and she absolutely aced the [Pilot-in-Command] type rating, and the examiner thought she had about 5,000 hours". The Pilot-in-Command type rating is a certification added to a pilot's license that legally qualifies them to act as the captain or sole pilot of a specific aircraft type, reports continue. Mr Kirk concluded his post on Wednesday by describing how Nathalia was different from many of the other students he taught. "I am saddened because so many of the pilots in training today never wanted to become pilots and only wanted to become airline pilots!" he said. "As I did check rides, I saw this time and time again! They had no passion for flying. They only wanted to get to the airlines to make the big money." But, Kirk said: "Nathalia was PASSIONATE about flying!!! She was a 100 percent natural born pilot!!! "I pray that she continues to fly amongst the clouds in heaven," the grieving instructor wrote. "May she rest in peace and God watch over her." Nathalia was co-piloting the Learjet 60 from Austin, Texas to the Bahamas when it got into trouble at about 35,000ft. She was heard in distressing cockpit audio telling air traffic control how the plane was going down. At first, she said there was "moderate turbulence." Soon after, her tone became panicked as she realised the aircraft was in trouble. "Seven two two bravo delta, we're descending 8,000... mayday mayday... we're descending 10,000ft per minute," the Mail reports Nathalia's words. Seconds later, she screamed: "Declaring emergency, declaring emergency, we are in an overspeed condition." Her voice grew even more terrified as she said: "Descending 20,000ft per minute... we're going to crash into the ground." "I'm here with you, talk to me," the air traffic controller responded. Nathalia said: "We are descending 22,000ft, and we are banking 60 degrees." "Holy f***, we're out of time," the 20-year-old then screamed in a final transmission before the sound from the plane goes silent. The co-pilot had also been messaging her fellow pilot boyfriend about facing heavy weather in the minutes before the plane crashed. Her family told the New York Post that before the crash, she texted her boyfriend Justin: "I've got turbulence, I've got ice." The private jet's passengers have also now been named as tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 44, his wife Helen Sharp, 40, their two children Emma, four, and Charlie, two. The family travelling with their nanny Anita Maria Cetina, and two family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr. It's understood the ground were travelling from their homes in Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas to celebrate Adam's birthday. The National Transportation Safety Board has sent around 20 investigators to examine the jet’s structures and systems, weather conditions, air traffic control communications and flight-recording equipment. The plane crash landed on a road near hundreds of homes - miraculously no one else was killed, but up to 600 people have been evacuated with no return in sight as investigations continue. Weather will be a major focus of the investigation, with officials examining the severe turbulence, icing and storm conditions encountered before the jet suddenly lost altitude.