Two federal police officers died. A 51-year-old mechanic was rescued and taken to Hospital João XXIII, in the capital of Minas Gerais.

A single-engine plane crashed at Pampulha Airport, in Belo Horizonte, on Wednesday afternoon (6). Two people died and one was injured. The aircraft belongs to the Federal Police.

The victims are federal police officers José Moraes Neto and Guilherme de Almeida Irber, from Brasília. The mechanic from an outsourced company was rescued consciously with abdominal trauma and taken to João XXIII Hospital.

According to the Fire Department, the plane took off and lost altitude moments later, falling to the side of the runway at 2:14 pm. The vehicle caught fire after the crash.

In a statement, the Federal Police stated that it "has started an investigation to determine the circumstances of the accident" and that it will "send experts in flight safety and air accidents in the next few hours to assist in the investigations."

The institution expressed solidarity with the families and friends of the victims and declared three days of official mourning.

In a note published on social media, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) also expressed solidarity with the family, friends and co-workers of the victims who died.

The aircraft is a Cessna 208B, manufactured in 2001, with 11 seats and capacity for nine passengers . In 2019 and 2020, there were records of incidents relating to tire bursts involving the single-engine vehicle. Registration number is PR-AAB.

Investigators from the Third Regional Service for the Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Seripa III), a regional body of the Research Center and (Cenipa), were called to the scene of the accident.

The initial action, the first stage of the investigation, consists of collecting and confirming data, verifying the damage caused and gathering other necessary information.

In a statement, CCR Aeroportos, which manages the Pampulha terminal, stated that firefighters "are committed to complying with safety and service protocols" after the incident.

According to the Fire Department, the accident did not harm the landing and take-off area, and the airport has now returned to normal operation.