Cheyenne Crash Kills 10 In Brazil

A Piper Cheyenne similar to this was on a family holiday trip when it crashed in Brazil.

Javier Bravo Muñoz/Wikimedia/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:GNU_Free_Documentation_License,_version_1.2

Brazilian authorities say a prominent businessman and nine members of his family were killed when the Piper PA-42-1000 Cheyenne 400LS crashed shortly after takeoff from Canela Airport in Gramado in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday. Seventeen people on the ground were injured. Luiz Claudio Galeazzi was flying the twin with his wife, three daughters and five other family members onboard. The aircraft reportedly hit the chimney of a house before crashing into a hotel and a store.

Galeazzi, CEO of a São Paulo corporate restructuring and crisis management company, was flying his family on a holiday trip to Jundiaí in the São Paulo state. The plane traveled about two miles before crashing. A large post-crash fire ensued.

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.