Small plane crashes into building in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, killing two

A small plane crashed into a building in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, killing the pilot and a passenger. The aircraft struck the structure between the third and fourth floors, avoiding occupied apartments. Investigators from the Centre for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) will examine the incident.

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Small plane crashes into building in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, killing two

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A small plane crashed into a building in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on May 4, 2026, resulting in the deaths of the pilot and a passenger. The aircraft, which took off from Pampulha Airport, had reported problems to the control tower before the crash.

The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) announced that investigators from the Centre for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) will examine the incident following the crash. Additionally, the Civil Police from Minas Gerais (PCMG) have initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Investigators from the Centre for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) will examine the incident, with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) overseeing the process. Additionally, the Civil Police from Minas Gerais (PCMG) have launched an investigation into the crash.

Moment plane crashes into building in Brazil city centre killing two people | News World

This is the moment a small plane crashed into a building in the middle of a packed Brazilian city.

The aircraft was carrying five occupants when it slammed into a building in Belo Horizonte, the country’s sixth-largest city with a population of around 2.4 million people.

The ⁠pilot and a passenger died, while the remaining passengers were in serious condition.

This handout picture released by the Minas Gerais Fire Department shows a small plane after it crashed into a building in the city center of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Handout / MINAS GERASIS FIRE DEPARTMENT / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT
This picture released by the Minas Gerais Fire Department shows a small plane after it crashed into a building in the city center of Belo Horizonte (Picture: / MINAS GERASIS FIRE DEPARTMENT / AFP via Getty Images)

There were no injuries reported from inside the building.

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The plane took off from Pampulha Airport at 12.16pm and the pilot had reported to the control tower that he was facing problems taking off.

Lieutenant Raul of the Fire Department said: ‘It [the aircraft] hit between the third and fourth floors, in the stairwell.

‘If it had hit the sides, it could have struck some residences; those apartments were occupied.

‘What we saw was the structure of the aircraft projected inside the stairwell, without hitting any other apartments.’

One resident inside the block said she thought ‘the world had ended’.

Avani Soares, told Globo: ‘Everything went dark, a lot of debris fell, and I thought, ‘The world has ended.’

Firefighters inspect the area of the wreckage of a small plane that crashed into a building in downtown Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, on May 4, 2026. A small plane crashed into the side of a building in the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte on May 4, killing the pilot and copilot, firefighters said. (Photo by GLEDSTON TAVARES / AFP via Getty Images)
There were no injuries inside the building (Picture: GLEDSTON TAVARES / AFP via Getty Images)

‘On the other floor, there were people screaming for help. I didn’t know what to do.’

She said there was a strong smell of fuel as she ran out with just her phone and glasses.

Investigators from the Centre for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) will examine the incident, according to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB).

The Civil Police from Minas Gerais (PCMG) have also launched an investigation into the crash.

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