A small plane crashed in a Brazilian city that is very popular with tourists, killing 10 | Aviation News

The twin-engine plane crashed in a residential area of ​​Gramado shortly after takeoff, authorities said.

A small plane has crashed in a popular tourist destination in southern Brazil, killing all 10 people on board and injuring more than a dozen on the ground, officials said.

The twin-engine Piper PA-42-1000 hit the chimney of a house and the second floor of a separate house before crashing into a shop in a residential area of ​​Gramado shortly after taking off from Canela, Brazil’s defense agency said on Sunday.

Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite told a press conference that the plane’s owner and pilot, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, was killed along with nine members of his family.

Leite said 17 people were injured on the ground, 12 of them are still being treated at the hospital.

Galeazzi’s company, Galeazzi & Associados, confirmed that its manager and Galeazzi’s wife and three daughters died in the accident.

“Luiz Galeazzi will forever be remembered for his dedication to his family and his incredible work as the leader of Galeazzi & Associados,” the company said in a post on LinkedIn.

“In this moment of great pain, Galeazzi & Associados is very grateful for the words of solidarity and love received from friends, colleagues and the community. We sympathize with all those affected by this accident in this region.”

Gramado, located in the Serra Gaucha mountains, is a popular tourist destination, especially during the Christmas season.

The crash comes just over a year after Brazil suffered its worst air disaster in nearly two decades when a twin-engine plane crashed in the southeastern city of Vinhedo, killing all 62 people on board.