NFL Star Joe Mixon Reveals He Flew on Same Private Jet With Both Pilots Just Weeks Before Fatal Florida Crash

Former NFL running back Joe Mixon has revealed a chilling personal connection to the private jet that crashed in Florida, killing all nine people aboard, saying he had flown on the exact same aircraft with both pilots just weeks before the disaster.

Mixon shared the revelation on social media on November 2, expressing his devastation after learning about the fatal crash involving the Learjet 60.

“Absolutely devastated by yesterday’s tragic plane crash in Florida and the loss of all nine lives,” he wrote. He confirmed that he had travelled on the aircraft the previous month with the same two pilots.

The former Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans star described the crew as “incredible professionals and genuinely wonderful people”, adding that learning more about the young female co-pilot made the tragedy even more heartbreaking.

The co-pilot was identified as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras. She and the aircraft’s captain, 55-year-old Jeff Gregory, were among the nine people killed when the jet went down in Palm Beach County on November 1.

The aircraft had departed Austin, Texas, and was heading towards North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Seven passengers were also aboard, including technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their two young children, their nanny Anita Maria Cetina and family friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr.

According to reports, the crew communicated with air traffic control about icing conditions and moderate turbulence before the aircraft entered a rapid descent. The co-pilot subsequently declared an emergency.

The jet crashed near Greenacres, Florida, killing everyone on board. One person on the ground was also reported injured.

Mixon did not disclose the exact date or destination of his previous journey on the aircraft. However, his statement confirmed that he had flown with both pilots during the weeks leading up to the accident.

His tribute also focused on Filgueiras, whose aviation career had been cut short at just 20 years old. Reports said she had accumulated more than 1,300 flight hours and had earned her pilot’s licence while still a teenager.

“My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to the grieving families and loved ones of everyone on board,” Mixon wrote, reminding people to cherish their loved ones.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Although icing and turbulence were reported during the flight, investigators have not yet established what caused the aircraft to go down.

Mixon’s revelation has added a deeply personal dimension to the tragedy, as the football star mourns two pilots whose professionalism he had experienced firsthand only weeks earlier.