On the morning of February 7, 2025, a twin-engine Beech F90 King Air tragically crashed into a bustling street in São Paulo, Brazil, resulting in two fatalities. The small aircraft, en route to Porto Alegre, collided with a bus around 7:20 a.m. local time on Marquês de São Vicente Avenue in the Barra Funda district.
The victims, identified by authorities as pilot Gustavo Medeiros and aircraft owner Márcio Carpena, were the only two occupants of the plane. They reportedly died instantly, burned in the initial impact. Additionally, debris from the crash injured six bystanders, including a motorcyclist and a bus passenger. The injured were rushed to local medical facilities, such as Santa Casa de Misericordia and Upa Santana Hospital.
The plane had only been airborne for a few minutes after departing from Campo de Marte, a private airport less than three miles from the crash site, when it lost contact with the control tower. The cause of the crash has yet to be determined, and an investigation has been initiated by the Brazilian Air Force.
Eye-witness accounts bring to life the harrowing moments leading up to the crash. After striking a tree and a sign, the aircraft began leaking fuel before it crashed into a bus and burst into flames. João Lucas da Silva Amaral, an engineer, recounted that the plane “started dumping kerosene” before exploding upon impact.
Another witness, personal trainer Adriano Rolim, noted that the pilot seemed to be trying to land on Marquês de São Vicente. Despite efforts from surrounding vehicles to avoid the aircraft, it collided with the rear of a bus, resulting in a powerful explosion. The terrifying scene left those present in a state of shock.
Emergency response was swift, with firefighters, military police, civil police, and scientific-technical police arriving on the scene. To control the blaze and assist victims, 14 fire department vehicles and 38 firefighters were deployed.
Video footage from the scene showed the aircraft skidding across the highway before a large explosion ensued, followed by thick, black smoke. CCTV footage captured the moment of impact, with the plane crashing just past an intersection where cars were stopped at a traffic light.
São Paulo’s Governor Tarcísio de Freitas and Mayor Ricardo Nunes expressed their condolences, confirmed the identities of the deceased, and reassured the public that the incident is under active investigation. “We are providing all the support structures to help the victims,” stated Mayor Nunes.
The crash caused significant disruption to traffic in one of São Paulo’s busiest districts, an area filled with key office buildings and public transportation hubs.
Witnesses described a scene of chaos as people fled the burning wreckage. Alexandre Lima Marques, a Civil Guard member, recalled “a lot of smoke” upon his arrival, with flames consuming the plane and passengers evacuating the bus in terror.
This crash adds to the number of minor aircraft accidents that have occurred in Brazil in recent years. A particularly devastating crash occurred in August 2024, in Vinhedo, near São Paulo, when a passenger plane went into a flat spin and crashed into a residential area, resulting in 61 fatalities.
An inquiry will be conducted to ascertain the possible causes of this tragic incident, whether mechanical failure or pilot error. The Brazilian Air Force has assured that the investigation will be executed as quickly as possible.
