One of the first instructors who taught Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras is defending her skill after the young co-pilot died in the Palm Beach Learjet crash.

Chris Kirk wrote online that she was a "natural-born pilot" and not someone chasing an airline paycheck. After 40 years of teaching he called her "without a doubt the most naturally gifted pilot I have ever taught."

He said examiners were routinely impressed on her check rides and added that "that young lady was born to fly."

Rapid progress in training

Kirk said she wrapped up a Learjet type rating before logging 1,100 flight hours. He said she crushed the pilot-in-command check and that the examiner guessed she had closer to 5,000 hours.

He also let her fly many aircraft types including tailwheel planes and the Caravan and said her passion for aviation set her apart from trainees who only wanted airline money.

November 1 crash

Nathalia sat right seat on a Learjet 60 headed from Austin, Texas toward the Bahamas when it went down in Palm Beach County. All nine people aboard died including captain Jeff Gregory and relatives of CEO Adam Robinson.

Her stepfather Thiago Corleti has said she texted her pilot boyfriend shortly before the November 1 crash that she had turbulence and ice.

The NTSB is investigating reports of icing and turbulence plus parts of the aircraft that appeared to separate before impact.