Two pilots died when their small plane crashed during a suspected bungled aerobatic stunt.
The experimental single-engine aircraft crashed at around 5.30pm on Friday (16 October), just seconds after taking off from the local aerodrome.
As the plane climbed, it appeared to attempt a barrel roll, turning upside down before rapidly losing altitude and crashing into the ground.
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Firefighters freed the pilot and co-pilot from the wreckage and applied foam to the runway to contain a fuel leak.
The pair were taken to a local hospital, but they could not be saved following the incident in Orlândia, Brazil.
No one on the ground was injured, as reported by Need To Know.
The victims were named as 51-year-old businessman Victor Simões da Silva, from Manaus, and 58-year-old José Ricardo Santana, from São Paulo.
They had arrived in the area at around 1pm that day to attend an equestrian event.
Their bodies were taken to a morgue in Franca for post-mortem examinations.
Data from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) shows the aircraft, which was manufactured in 2011 and kept in a local hangar, had its documentation in order.
Authorities are investigating whether human error, mechanical failure or a loss of lift was to blame.
Aeronautics professor James Waterhouse, from the University of São Paulo, told local media: “It was an experimental aircraft, a good plane, and the pilot clearly performed an aerobatic manoeuvre shortly after take-off, at a very low altitude and speed.
“That was a decisive factor in the crash.
“However, the engine also needs to be investigated.
“It may have failed during the manoeuvre, as the propeller shows signs that the engine was producing little power at the moment of impact.
“This could have been due to a reduction in power immediately before the crash or an engine failure that contributed to the accident.”
Police chief Otávio Volpini Silva said: “At this stage, we need to establish who was at the scene so we can interview them as witnesses, as well as speak to the first police officers and firefighters to arrive, to piece together exactly what happened.”
The aircraft was a Van’s RV-7A, a two-seat sport plane sold in kit form for amateur construction.
Designed for recreational flying and aerobatics, it is capable of performing manoeuvres such as loops and rolls.
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