Learjet co-pilot’s final text to boyfriend before fatal crash revealed

Could ice have played a role?

Investigators have not established what caused the crash, and the investigation is still in its early stages. However, the reports of ice and turbulence have raised questions about whether icing may have contributed to the disaster.

Icing can occur when supercooled water droplets freeze as they come into contact with an aircraft. Ice accumulating on the wings or other critical surfaces can affect lift, increase drag and interfere with the aircraft’s ability to remain under control.

In severe cases, the effects can become dangerous very quickly

The crew’s reports about ice, followed by the sudden emergency and rapid descent, are among the details investigators will need to examine. But the available information does not yet establish that icing caused the crash.

Roads are closed after a jet crashed on November 1, 2026 in Greenacres, Florida. Early reports say it was carrying nine people and crashed and erupted into flames near a residential neighborhood. (Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images)
Dashcam footage recorded along Military Trail captured the moment the Learjet struck the ground. The aircraft hit nose-first, triggering an enormous fireball that briefly filled the camera’s view and leaving a crater in the road.

At least one mobile home was destroyed, while a burst water pipe flooded part of the impact area. Around 600 residents were evacuated as a precaution.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine people aboard had died. No fatalities were reported on the ground. The FAA and the NTSB are investigating.

A life and career cut tragically short

Filgueiras was only 20. She had earned her pilot’s license as a teenager and was beginning her professional career, with around 1,300 hours in the air already behind her.

On that Sunday afternoon, she was in the co-pilot’s seat of a chartered business jet travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas

Her message to her boyfriend was just a few words about turbulence and ice — a brief glimpse into what she was experiencing during the flight.

Now, those words have become part of the heartbreaking account of the Learjet’s final minutes

What exactly happened in the cockpit, and whether the conditions described in her message contributed to the crash, remain questions for investigators to answer.