One city, Belo Horizonte, suffered a shocking plane crash shortly after it had lifted off Pampulha Airport, when a small plane collided with a house. Responders, city officials reported the pilot and copilot were deceased in a crash, and three other victims sustained serious injury.
“It took place on this EMB-721C Neiva Sertanejo, a lightweight twin-engine aircraft mainly used for private and regional use in Brazil,” he said. The plane, which had departed Pampulha Airport, went down in the Silveira neighbourhood, a very crowded residential area in Belo Horizonte, the authorities said.
Eyewitnesses also heard strange noises from the plane’s engines in the early descent, immediately before the plane collided with a building. Multiple videos and photos shared on social media showed smoke travelling from the crash scene as emergency personnel rushed to the scene.
Firefighters, policemen, and medical personnel have been working to put out the fire and rescue survivors from the wreckage. The officials said the pilot and copilot were fatally wrapped around the scene as they came in from impacts from the crash. Three additional people sustaining serious injuries were carried to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. It doesn’t know who they are or what their current medical conditions are.
Officials are pleased to report that no residents inside the building were killed in the incident. But following the subsequent impact and fire, the building was badly damaged. Houses in proximity were evacuated as police and other emergency workers raced to limit the spread of the flames to surrounding buildings.
The people of the town have been particularly strained as they have been living in a compact, urban area near residential complexes and commercial structures. Witnesses said they had experienced “scary times” as debris littered the street and smoke blanketed their doors and the vicinity.
Brazilian authorities have launched an official inquiry into the cause of the crash. Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Centre in Brazil, Aero-Civil Aviation experts should also establish the plane’s maintenance history, weather conditions, flight trajectory and possible mechanical failures.
Investigators have not established any parts contributing to the plane's apparent malfunction right after takeoff. Communications between pilots and air traffic control before the crash are also being analysed and scheduled for inquiry. But the crash, too, triggered yet again larger questions about the safety of small private planes flying in Brazil’s city centres. Despite some issues, though, small aeroplanes remain vital modes of transport that are used in thousands of cities, and crashes in cities are usually associated with fatalities, aviation experts said.
Silveira people gathered around the crash, as emergency forces continued rescues and recovery efforts up into the evening. The crash was described by many as horrific and welcomed as a relief, for the collision occurred at a place where the number of dead was not greater. The public has been cautioned not to speculate until an official investigation has been conducted. The government still has a way to go. In just a couple of days, details of the victims, flight path and technical results of the crash will be revealed as the investigators attempt to find out about a fatal crash.
