On Friday, February 7, 2025, a small, twin-engine Beech F90 King Air crashed into a bustling São Paulo, Brazil street, resulting in two fatalities. The aircraft was headed for Porto Alegre and crashed into a Marquês de São Vicente Avenue bus in the Barra Funda neighborhood around 7:20 a.m. local time.
Authorities have identified the deceased as the pilot, Gustavo Medeiros, and the aircraft owner, Márcio Carpena. They were the only individuals on the aircraft. Reports suggest that both victims were burned to death upon impact. Debris from the crash injured six other individuals, including a woman on the bus and a motorcyclist. All injured parties were taken to local hospitals, such as Santa Casa de Misericordia and Upa Santana Hospital.
The control tower lost contact with the plane just minutes after it left Campo de Marte, a private airport located less than three miles from the crash site. The cause of the crash is still unclear, and the Brazilian Air Force has initiated an investigation.
Witnesses have described the chaotic moments leading up to the crash. After the plane hit a tree and clipped a sign, it started leaking fuel before crashing into a bus and catching fire. Engineer João Lucas da Silva Amaral recalled that the aircraft “started dumping kerosene” before it exploded on impact.
Adriano Rolim, a personal trainer who witnessed the crash, noted that the pilot was trying to land on Marquês de São Vicente. Cars in the vicinity swerved to avoid the collision, but the plane still collided with the rear of a bus before the fiery explosion. The crash, due to its immense force, left a shocking scene for onlookers.
Emergency response teams, including firefighters, military police, civil police, and scientific-technical police, arrived promptly at the scene. Fourteen fire department vehicles and 38 firefighters were dispatched to control the fire and assist victims.
Footage from the scene shows the aircraft skidding down the highway, followed by a large explosion and thick black smoke. A CCTV video captured the moment of the crash when the plane collided yards past an intersection where cars were waiting at a traffic light.
São Paulo’s Governor, Tarcísio de Freitas, has expressed condolences and confirmed the identities of the deceased. He also assured that authorities are actively investigating the accident. São Paulo Mayor Ricardo Nunes stated, “We are providing all the support structures to help the victims.”
The crash disrupted traffic in one of São Paulo’s busiest districts, which houses key office buildings and public transportation hubs.
Witnesses described a scene of chaos as people scrambled to escape the burning wreckage. Civil Guard member Alexandre Lima Marques recalled seeing “a lot of smoke” as he arrived, with flames engulfing the plane and passengers fleeing the bus in terror. The disaster left many visibly shaken, overwhelmed by fear and shock.
In recent years, Brazil has seen several minor aircraft crashes. An especially devastating accident occurred in August 2024 in Vinhedo, near São Paulo, when a passenger plane entered a flat spin and crashed into a residential area, resulting in 61 fatalities.
Potential causes, such as mechanical failure and pilot error, will be examined as part of the investigation into Friday’s fatal incident. The Brazilian Air Force has assured the public that the investigation will be conducted as swiftly as possible.