The father of a 20-year-old co-pilot killed when a Learjet crashed in Greenacres spoke at an emotional press conference Friday. Allan Filgueiras appeared with lawyers to talk about his daughter, Natalia Filgueiras.
The plane went down Sunday on South Military Trail, next to a mobile home park. All nine people on board died, including both pilots, a family of four from Austin with two young children, their babysitter and two friends. The 55-year-old pilot, Jeff Gregory, was flying the plane with Natalia beside him.
Filgueiras said he listened to audio from the flight’s final moments. He heard his daughter speaking with air traffic control while Gregory tried to keep the aircraft under control. He said he wished he had been beside her.
“She was gifted, and my soulmate,” he said. “She made me so proud. She showed me what it is to be a hero.”
Filgueiras, also a pilot, said he often flew with his daughter and taught her along the way. As of Friday afternoon, no lawsuit had been filed in connection with the crash.
The impact left a large crater that later filled with water after heavy rain. Investigators said weather has complicated efforts to recover evidence from the site. The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation is ongoing.
