Dramatic CCTV footage captured the moment a plane crashed into a restaurant in Brazil seconds after takeoff, killing all four people on board in a massive explosion
Shocking footage captured a plane plummeting into a restaurant and erupting in a massive fireball claiming the lives of all four occupants. Luis Ortolani and his wife Deborah, who was mother to triplets from an earlier relationship, perished alongside pilot Nelio Pessanha and aviation firm partner Renan Saes.
The restaurant was shuttered at the time as the proprietor had temporarily closed for refurbishment works, preventing what could have been a catastrophic loss of life. The devastating incident occurred shortly after 10.30am local time yesterday morning, mere moments after the Piper Malibu departed from Capao da Canoa Airport in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Extraordinary footage of the disaster shows a pedestrian fleeing for his life as the aircraft plummeted earthward, while another pair can be seen racing from the area having narrowly escaped being struck. Flames were visible shooting from the building’s roof, accompanied by a towering black column of smoke billowing skyward.
Eyewitnesses reported the aircraft had struck a pole close to the runway’s end before going down. Residents in nearby homes were moved to safety as a precaution.
Rio Grande do Sul state governor Eduardo Leite posted on X yesterday: “I have been following, since the very first moments, together with the security forces, the full mobilisation in responding to the incident involving the crash of a small aircraft in Capao da Canoa, unfortunately with confirmed fatalities. The accident area has already been evacuated by Civil Defence.”
Civil Defence spokesman Sabrina Rimas stated: “We managed to immediately evacuate the people from the properties next door, so all the residents left without injuries.
“This aircraft crashed into a restaurant that was closed, and next to it we have a shop that was also closed. Firefighters were mobilised immediately and the first teams arrived shortly afterwards to tackle the blaze. The Military Brigade also arrived soon after and secured the area for the safety of passers-by.”
Electricity supplies in the vicinity were severed, with overhead power lines reportedly sustaining damage. While authorities initially indicated the aircraft had originated from Sao Paulo, it was later confirmed it had been departing from Capao da Canoa.
Lorry driver Silvio Silva de Jesus, who witnessed the crash, told Brazilian media: “I saw that the airplane was coming from the airport after take-off. It climbed but didn’t manage to climb fully and seemed to lose power.
“There was a noise coming from the engine. It almost hit the office, then a pole, got caught on the pole and went down nose-first before the explosion.”
Restaurant proprietor Douglas Roos disclosed: “Two days ago we decided we wouldn’t open on Good Friday for lunch because I wanted to do some small renovations.
“The whole team was supposed to be working. It would have been my family and six or seven others. More than ten people could have been inside.”