App motorcyclist Davi Kennedy saw the takeoff of the single-engine plane that crashed and caught fire on the Belo Horizonte subway tracks, close to São Gabriel Station, this Friday (9). He also saw the plane in the air moments before it crashed. The pilot, whose identity has not yet been released by authorities, was burned to death.
"He took off and used very little runway. By the time he climbed, he was already looking for strength. By the time he reached a certain height, the engine turned off, and then I was surprised. He glided from one side to the other and, at that time, he already tipped over and disappeared behind the houses here, and I couldn't see anymore. And then I just waited for the noise", said Davi.
He said that he has the habit of watching planes take off and land on the runway at Pampulha Airport, during his lunch break, and was scared by the accident.
"When I arrived at the site [of the crash], I saw a lot of people gathered, and the police arrived very quickly. I like seeing the plane descending and ascending on the runway and I was in shock with this situation. It was very sudden", he lamented.
The single-engine plane had taken off from Pampulha Airport and would land in Juatuba, in Greater BH, then return to Belo Horizonte.
According to the Fire Department, in the crash, the aircraft collided with a structure in the warehouse of Metrô BH, the concessionaire responsible for the subway service in the capital of Minas Gerais, and hit the electrical wiring in the maintenance yard. No one at the scene was injured.
According to the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac), the plane is in good standing and has an inspection certificate valid until October 2027. It is registered for private use and does not have authorization for commercial operations, such as air taxi or regular passenger transport.
In a statement, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) reported that investigators from the Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (Cenipa) were called to investigate the causes of the accident.
"During the initial action, qualified and accredited professionals apply specific techniques for collecting and confirming data, preserving elements, initial verification of damage caused to the aircraft or by the aircraft, in addition to gathering other information necessary for the investigation," stated the agency.
The plane that crashed and caught fire near São Gabriel Station, in Belo Horizonte, this Friday (9), was a single-engine EMB-711ST Corisco II Turbo. The model was manufactured in 1988 by Neiva and later incorporated by Embraer.
Only the pilot was on board the aircraft, which had capacity for four occupants (three passengers and the commander), at the time of the accident.
See below the main characteristics of the aircraft:
Registration: PT-VHE
Model: EMB-711ST Corisco II Turbo
Manufacturer in Brazil: Embraer/Neiva, under license from Piper Aircraft
Category: light general aviation aircraft
Year of manufacture: 1988
Type: single piston engine, turbocharged
Configuration: low wing, T-tail and retractable landing gear
Capacity: can accommodate up to four occupants, including the pilot
Use: private transportation, tourism and general aviation
