NASA Administrator Defends 20-Year-Old Pilot After Florida Crash

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman defended Nathalia Gadelha, a 20-year-old co-pilot who died in a Florida plane crash, against online criticism of her professional conduct.

Isaacman, a pilot with more than 8,000 flight hours, posted comments on Monday regarding the Learjet 60 accident. The aircraft crashed in Greenacres, Florida, on Sunday, killing all nine people aboard while traveling from Austin to the Bahamas. Flight data indicated the plane descended at a rate exceeding 20,000 feet per minute.

"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," Isaacman wrote in a personal capacity. He noted that he has flown similar aircraft for over 20 years and understands the operations of the charter industry.

The administrator addressed speculation about Gadelha's age and qualifications. He explained that the charter industry often hires commercial pilots early in their careers to gain experience alongside senior captains. Isaacman stated that Gadelha held the appropriate training, qualifications, and checkouts required by the Federal Aviation Administration.

"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 right to the end in a terrifying situation," Isaacman said. He added that she likely knew before making many of those calls that she was going to die.

Isaacman urged the public to wait for the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA to complete their investigations. He cautioned that observers do not know the aircraft's maintenance history or whether the failure was caused by structural issues, turbulence, overspeed, or overcontrol. "Let people investigate, learn, and share the facts," he wrote, asking for respect for the families of those who perished.

The NTSB and FAA are currently investigating the crash, with weather expected to be part of the inquiry. Isaacman described the viral dashcam footage and cockpit audio as a source of public interest but warned against drawing conclusions before official facts are established.