The aircraft hit a restaurant in a built-up neighbourhood, but before the venue was open
Four people have died after a plane smashed into a restaurant and went up in a ball of flames in Brazil.
Firefighters have confirmed the pilot is among the victims along with three other people travelling on the light aircraft, including a couple.
The dramatic accident happened just after 10.30am local time this morning as the Piper Malibu descended on approach to Capao da Canoa Airport in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The restaurant in a built-up residential area was still closed at the time of the crash, limiting the number of people hit on the ground.
The plane hit a building with a restaurant and a shop in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul
There were no immediate reports of any casualties on the ground, although the astonishing footage of the crash showed a man on foot appearing to run for his life as he saw the plane come down and another couple sprinting away from the scene as they too came close to being hit.
Aeronave monomotor turboélice Piper Mirage Malibu (Jetprop) colide com casas durante aproximação em Capão da Canoa (RS) na manhã desta sexta-feiraAinda sem informações confirmadas de vítimas @OnDisasters pic.twitter.com/KlNoKzpVz4— AEROIN (@aero_in) April 3, 2026
Footage from the scene showed flames leaping from the top of the building the plane hit and a black plume of smoke rising high into the air.
Local reports said it had collided with a pole near the end of the runway before crashing. It had flown in from Sao Paulo.
Locals living in houses near the restaurant were evacuated to safety.Rio Grande do Sul state governor Eduardo Leite said on X: ‘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.’
The horror plane crash occurred less than 24 hours after four people died when a light aircraft smashed nose-first into a field near an industrial estate close to the city of Puebla in central Mexico.
The spokesperson for the Civil Defence service, Sabrina Rimas, said: ‘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.’
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