Family of the co-pilot in Florida Learjet crash defend her reputation

Meanwhile, the father of the 20-year-old co-pilot who died along with eight others when their Learjet crashed in Florida remarked Friday he has listened to his daughter's heartbreaking final radio transmissions "many times" since the crash.

What happened

Allan Filgueiras, himself a pilot, was searching for answers as to why the plane plunged from the sky on Sunday – but what he discovered was immense pride in how his daughter, Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, handled the crisis.

"I did listen to that plenty of times trying to find a clue. In my head. How'd that happen? And wow, she's tough, " Allan Filgueiras remarked at a news conference Friday, frequently holding back tears.

In her final conversation with air traffic control, she can be heard calmly reporting ice buildup on the plane as the Learjet flew into a thunderstorm and turbulence tossed it up and down by 700 feet (200 meters). The situation rapidly escalated as the aircraft fell at breathtaking speed. "Declare an emergency 722-Bravo-Delta. We are in an overspeed condition descending 20, 000 feet per minute!" she remarked.

The bottom line

For now, family of the co-pilot in Florida Learjet crash defend her reputation remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.