A small aircraft crashed into a building in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on Monday, leaving two people dead and three others critically injured, according to emergency authorities.
Firefighters in Minas Gerais, Brazil confirmed that the pilot and co-pilot of the private aircraft were killed in the crash, while three passengers on board were rushed to hospital in serious condition.
Dramatic footage captured by a news helicopter showed the single-engine plane, identified as an Embraer aircraft, flying unusually low over rooftops before veering off course and slamming into the corner of a three-storey building. The impact caused debris to scatter into a nearby parking area.
Authorities said the aircraft struck the building’s stairwell, a detail that may have prevented a higher casualty count. “If it had hit the sides, it could have struck residential apartments, which were occupied,” a fire department official told local media outlet G1.
No injuries were reported among occupants of the building.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and investigations are expected to begin.
Aviation incidents involving small aircraft are relatively frequent in Brazil, which has one of the largest aviation networks in the world. According to the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA), the country recorded 153 aircraft accidents in 2025, resulting in 62 fatalities.
