Father Seeks Answers After Daughter’s Fatal Learjet Crash

Allan Filgueiras, an experienced pilot, said he has repeatedly listened to the final radio transmissions from the flight. The Learjet was bound for the Bahamas after departing Austin, Texas, when it crashed in Florida. He described listening to the recordings as extremely painful and said he hears his daughter’s courage as she communicated with air traffic control.

Before the jet began a rapid descent from 35,000 feet and made a Mayday call, the two-person crew reported icing and moderate turbulence, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The pilot, Jeff Gregory, was also killed. The NTSB is investigating what happened.

Investigators said a piece of the jet’s left elevator was found in three sections, with some debris nearly four miles from the crash site. It has not been determined whether the elevator’s separation contributed to the crash or occurred as the aircraft descended at a speed above its certified maximum.

Filgueiras said he wants to understand why the crew flew into the weather rather than diverting. He called his daughter responsible and gifted, and said she was qualified to pilot the flight. He is working with a legal team whose attorneys want to inspect the aircraft and review maintenance records for the 22-year-old Learjet 60. Filgueiras said he is waiting for the NTSB’s findings.