A small plane crashed into a popular tourist town in Brazil, 10 people died Aviation News

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

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

Brazil’s Civil Defense agency said Sunday that the twin-engine Piper PA-42-1000 hit the chimney of a house and the second floor of another house before crashing into a shop in the mainly residential neighborhood of Gramado shortly after takeoff from Canela airport.

The governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, said at a press conference that the owner and pilot of the plane, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, died along with 9 members of his family.

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

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

“Louise Galeazzi will be forever remembered for her dedication to her family and her remarkable career as the leader of Galeazzi & Associados,” the company wrote on LinkedIn.

“At this time of extreme pain, Galeazzi & Associados is deeply grateful for the expressions of solidarity and love received from friends, colleagues and the community. We also offer our condolences to all those affected by the accident in the region.”

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

The crash comes a little more than a year after the twin-engine plane crashed in the southeastern Brazilian city of Vinhedo, killing all 62 people on board, in the worst air disaster in nearly two decades.