Seven people have been confirmed dead in Brazil after a Piper aircraft crashed in Itapeva, in the southern part of Minas Gerais.
According to local reports the Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage single-engine plane broke up midflight after it left Campo dos Amarais Airport (CPQ).
The Minas Gerais Fire Department said that the crash occurred on January 28, 2024, at around 10:30am local time while the plane was flying to Belo Horizonte.
Brazilian news outlet OGlobo reported that those killed included the pilot and co-pilot, two businessmen and their wives, and a two-year-old son of one of the passengers.
The two men are understood to have worked for the payroll credit operator Credfranco. Credfranco issued a statement on social media following the incident.
“It is with great sadness and consternation that Credfranco announces the death of our esteemed businesspeople […] In this moment of mourning we express our most sincere condolences and solidarity to family, friends and everyone who shares with us this moment of sadness and reflection,” the company wrote.
Minas Gerais Civil Police coroner Tatiana Teles said that the plane broke up into three large sections and came to rest on its roof.
Firefighters had to turn the aircraft over to remove all bodies from the plane wreckage.
Avião cai no interior de MINAS GERAIS pic.twitter.com/zi4Ab2wVKh
— Heron guedes (@Lcioguedes4) January 28, 2024
The Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center in Brazil are investigating the incident.
Local reports suggested that weather conditions in the area at the time of the crash were unfavorable.
