The co-pilot killed in the fiery Learjet crash in Florida has been identified as 20-year-old Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, an aviation prodigy who earned her pilot’s licence before she could legally drive.

Filgueiras was among the nine people who died when the private jet plunged into a South Florida neighbourhood on Sunday, erupting into a fireball.

The aspiring airline pilot obtained her private pilot’s licence at the age of 17 while still attending high school in Palm Beach County. She later earned her commercial pilot licence and had logged more than 1,300 hours of flying experience.

Her mother, Camila, and stepfather confirmed her identity, noting that she had been working as a commercial pilot for about nine months. She had dreamt of flying jets and pursuing a career with a major airline.

The Learjet 60 was travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when the crew reported icing and turbulence before the aircraft lost altitude and crashed in Palm Beach County.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are examining the circumstances of the crash. All nine people on board, including passengers and crew, were killed.