Friend of co-pilot in Florida plane crash says audio of last moments “the worst thing I’ve ever heard”

Updated on: November 3, 2026 / 8:52 AM EST / CBS News

A longtime friend of the co-pilot who died in a Florida plane crash on Sunday said air traffic control audio revealing her final moments "was definitely, probably the worst thing I've ever heard."

The co-pilot, 20-year-old Nathalia Filgueiras, can be heard saying in the audio recordings that the jet she was flying alongside 55-year-old captain Jeffrey Gregory was rapidly descending.

"722 Bravo Delta, we're descending 8000 Mayday, Mayday, we're descending 10,000 ft per minute," Filgueiras said.

The messages grew increasingly alarming before the Learjet 60, which was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas, ultimately crashed in Palm Beach County, killing all nine people on board.

"Declare an emergency 722 Bravo Delta, we are in an overspeed condition descending 20,000 feet per minute," Filgueiras said.

Mikaela Schluth, who knew Filgueiras since middle school, said she is proud of how her friend handled it, "and how she was able to stay calm and give information, up until the last minute."

The passengers who died in the crash have been identified as Adam Robinson and Helen Sharp, a couple from Austin, and their two young children, Emma, 4, and Charlie…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/