A private jet tragically caught fire during landing in Brazil, killing the pilot and injuring several others, including a pedestrian.
The Cessna 525 Citation jet seemed to be landing normally when it suddenly veered off course. It hit the ground across the road from the airport and erupted into flames, as seen in videos of the incident.
The fire quickly consumed the aircraft as it skidded across the highway, narrowly missing cars and crashing through a fence. It turned into a massive fireball on the coastal runway.
Pilot Paulo Seghetto was killed in the crash. Thankfully, the four passengers, including a couple and their two young kids, managed to escape and were taken to a nearby hospital. A pedestrian was also injured.
Rogerio Prado, a tourist who filmed the landing, described how he almost became a victim himself. He was taking selfies when he noticed the plane coming in.
“I started filming because it looked like it was going to land,” he said. He barely had time to react as the plane tore through the fence and passed just a few feet away from him.
The explosion burned his back and arm, but he didn’t need medical help. He and others used rocks to break the plane’s windows to rescue the family, who ended up in the water on the other side of the airfield.
The Brazilian Air Force and local authorities are investigating the crash. Reports suggest the Cessna may have needed a longer runway than what Ubatuba airport could provide. The plane had taken off from Mineiros Municipal Airport but encountered bad weather upon arrival.
