NFL player reveals he flew on same Learjet with same pilots just weeks before deadly Florida crash

Former NFL player Joe Mixon mourned the nine victims of Sunday’s plane crash, including a 20-year-old co-pilot with dreams of a long aviation career.

In the aftermath of Sunday’s Learjet 60 crash that claimed the lives of all nine people on board, an NFL player reveals he flew with that same crew only a month before.

Joe Mixon, who played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans and is currently unsigned, took to X on Monday to offer condolences to the flight crew, calling them “genuinely wonderful people.”

“Absolutely devastated by yesterday’s tragic plane crash in Florida and the loss of all nine lives,” Mixon wrote. “I flew on that exact aircraft last month with those same two pilots. They were incredible professionals and genuinely wonderful people. Hearing the young woman’s story and learning about the bright future she had ahead of her makes it even more heartbreaking that her life was cut so short.”

The young woman Mixon referred to was 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras, who had dreamed of becoming a pilot since she was 12. She had earned more than 1,300 hours of flight time since earning her pilot’s license at 17.

“My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to the grieving families and loved ones of everyone on board,” he continued. “A tragic reminder of how fragile life is. Love on your loved ones while you can, because you never know what tomorrow may bring.”

The business jet was headed from Texas to the Bahamas when it crashed on Sunday, killing seven passengers and two pilots. The cause of the crash has not been determined, and the National Transportation Safety Board is reviewing all evidence.

In an update provided on Tuesday, the NTSB revealed that parts of the plane were found miles from the crash site, including the plane’s “left elevator,” which controls the aircraft’s nose position and the wing’s angle of attack.

“It tells us that at least some components, some pieces of the aircraft, important pieces of the aircraft separated before the impact,” NTSB member Tom Chapman told reporters, who added that it was a “significant” piece of evidence.