The father of 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras , who was among nine people killed when a Learjet crashed onto a Florida highway earlier this month, has described his daughter as a hero and said he is desperately waiting for answers about what led to the tragedy. Allan Filgueiras , an experienced pilot himself, said listening to his daughter's final radio communications with air traffic control has been extremely painful, but has also given him an insight into her courage during the aircraft's final moments.




In an interview with ABC News' Rhiannon Ally that aired on Thursday's edition of ‘Good Morning America’, Allan said he had listened to the recordings made as the Learjet encountered difficult weather conditions during its flight from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas on November 1.




According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the aircraft's two-person crew reported icing on the plane and moderate turbulence before the jet began a rapid descent from 35,000 feet and issued a Mayday call to air traffic control.




Father recalls daughter's final moments in the cockpit


Nathalia was serving as the co-pilot and was responsible for communicating with air traffic control as the aircraft encountered increasingly difficult conditions. Pilot Jeff Gregory, 55, was also in the cockpit when the crew reported problems, requested a better route and eventually began an emergency descent.




The aircraft subsequently crashed near West Palm Beach, killing both pilots and all seven passengers.




Recalling the experience of listening to the final transmissions, Allan said it was difficult to hear what his daughter had gone through.




“It felt like she was alone, trying to recover an aircraft that ... was un-recoverable,” he said.




Despite the heartbreak, he said he could hear his daughter's courage in the recordings and believes she did everything she could during the emergency.




NTSB investigates possible damage to Learjet's tail sectionThe NTSB is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. At a news conference last week, investigators revealed that the aircraft's left elevator, a control surface located on the tail, had been recovered in three pieces. Some of the fragments were found nearly four miles from the crash site.




An NTSB official said investigators have not yet determined whether the loss of the left elevator contributed to the crash or whether the extreme forces experienced by the aircraft as it descended caused the component to break apart.




The jet was a 22-year-old twin-engine Learjet 60. Investigators are examining the available evidence to establish what happened during the aircraft's final flight.




‘I need some answers to try to find peace,’ says grieving father


Allan has defended his daughter's abilities as a pilot, describing her as exceptionally talented and qualified to be part of the flight crew. He said her young age should not take away from her professional capabilities.




“There is no age to exercise a gift, and she did,” he said. “She was gifted.”




The grieving father is now working with a legal team as he seeks further information about the aircraft and the circumstances surrounding the accident. His attorneys, Andrew Yaffa and Stuart Grossman, have said they want to examine the plane and review its maintenance records.




For now, Allan said he is waiting for the NTSB's findings and wants investigators to establish what led the crew to fly through the difficult weather conditions.




“I want to hear what the NTSB has to say,” he said.




Father questions why the aircraft did not avoid the stormAsked what he hoped to learn from the investigation, Allan acknowledged that no explanation could bring his daughter back. However, he said understanding why the aircraft followed the route it did was important to finding some measure of peace.




“Why did they go where they went?” he asked.




He questioned why the crew did not take an alternative route to avoid the weather, pointing out that pilots have several resources available to them when navigating difficult flying conditions.




“Flying a jet, you have so many resources. You had 20 minutes, you had 30 minutes, and you go around the weather,” he said.




Allan also stressed that his daughter was a responsible pilot and not someone who would take unnecessary risks.




“And she was so responsible. She was not a cowboy-style pilot. ... So why they didn't go around? What made them go through the routes that they went? I have a lot of questions,” he said.




Nine people died in the Florida Learjet crash The November 1 crash claimed the lives of both pilots and seven passengers. The passengers were identified as Anita Maria Cetina, Charmi Fehr, Rachael Reed, Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp and their two young children, Emma and Charlie.




The NTSB investigation remains ongoing. Allan said he is waiting for investigators to establish what caused the aircraft to descend rapidly and crash, hoping the findings will provide answers about the final moments of his daughter's life.