A chilling recording of the final moments aboard a Learjet 60 that crashed in Florida, killing all nine people aboard, captured a man believed to be the pilot reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
The audio, recorded during the plane’s final communications with air traffic control, captures the man saying, “hallowed be Thy name.” His identity has not been officially confirmed.
The crash occurred Sunday near West Palm Beach as the jet traveled from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas. The co-pilot has been identified by her family as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, but authorities have not yet publicly identified the other victims.
The crew reported worsening conditions at approximately 35,000 feet. The pilot initially told air traffic controllers that the aircraft was experiencing manageable icing and moderate turbulence, but later reported precipitation and requested permission to climb.
Moments later, a voice believed to be Filgueiras declared an emergency, reporting that the jet was descending at 10,000 feet per minute before warning of an overspeed condition and a descent of 20,000 feet per minute. “We’re gonna crash into the ground!” she is heard yelling, before screaming.
DeWitt Ingram, a captain qualified to fly Learjets, told WPEC that flying into the top of a thunderstorm could have damaged the aircraft enough to cause a loss of control.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, writing in his personal capacity, urged the public not to jump to conclusions about the cause of the crash or criticize the final radio calls attributed to Filgueiras. Isaacman cited more than 20 years of experience flying similar aircraft and over 8,000 flight hours.
“She was the second-in-command (SIC), and while she was empowered to point out mistakes as part of good crew resource management, she was doing her job, communicating with ATC right to the end in a terrifying situation,” he wrote on X. “She likely knew before many of those calls that she was going to die. I have heard final calls from friends, from military pilots with thousands of hours in fighter aircraft, and they are just as heartbreaking because they know the end is approaching.”
Isaacman cautione that the aircraft’s maintenance history and the possibility of a structural failure remain unknown.
“Let people investigate, learn, and share the facts. Be respectful to those who perished and the families who carry their memories. God bless them and their loved ones,” he wrote.
Writing this in my personal capacity, but I have been flying these types of aircraft for more than 20 years, with over 8,000 hours, and have reasonable familiarity with how the charter world operates. I feel compelled to post after seeing commentary about the Lear 60 crash, from missile strikes to DEI to critiquing this poor woman’s final radio calls.
That last part is what I find most troubling. She was the second-in-command (SIC), and while she was empowered to point out mistakes as part of good crew resource management, she was doing her job, communicating with ATC right to the end in a terrifying situation. She likely knew before many of those calls that she was going to die. I have heard final calls from friends, from military pilots with thousands of hours in fighter aircraft, and they are just as heartbreaking because they know the end is approaching.
I understand the public interest given the footage and audio. But you do not know the aircraft’s maintenance history, whether there was a structural failure, if any failure was induced by turbulence, overspeed, or overcontrol, or everything happening in that cockpit. I am sure weather will be part of the investigation, but beyond that, it is speculation. The charter industry routinely hires commercial pilots very early in their careers to gain experience alongside an ATP-qualified captain before they move up to the airlines. She would still have the appropriate training, qualifications, and checkouts by an FAA examiner or designee.
Let people investigate, learn, and share the facts. Be respectful to those who perished and the families who carry their memories. God bless them and their loved ones.
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) November 2, 2026
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
Related: 20-Year-Old Woman Confirmed As Co-Pilot In Horrific Florida Jet Crash
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