The terrifying crash of a private Learjet 60 in Florida on Sunday, November 1, tragically took the lives of all nine people onboard. The aircraft seemed to plunge straight into the ground vertically like a missile. A huge fireball ensued. It will take time to sort out all the information about what led up to the fatal incident. Investigators aim to pinpoint exactly what and/or who was responsible. However, as always, there are those who are eager to rush to judgement. However, online trolls and unkind, overzealous armchair critics have apparently prematurely decided that the flight's second-in-command, Nathalia Gadelha Figueiras, who was 20 years old, was somehow to blame for the disaster.
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She is posthumously getting flak from these self-proclaimed "experts," especially because she was young. Now, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman is urging the public to have compassion for her and the other victims and to be patient while the crash is thoroughly investigated.
Isaacman Wrote, "I Feel Compelled To Post"
Motivated by some of the wild and unfounded theories popping up online about what happened to the stricken flight, Jared Isaacman wrote a long and thoughtful post on X, It states in part, "...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."
He went on, "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 [Air Traffic Control] 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."
There Are Many Possible Factors in the Crash
Isaacman also mentioned some of the possible factors in the Learjet's crash. "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...."
He concluded the post with this. "...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."
