Six Others Also Killed When Cessna 560XL Impacted Terrain On Landing Attempt

A Cessna Citation Excel (560XL) with a Brazilian Presidential candidate on board went down Wednesday while attempting to land at Santos, Brazil, resulting in the fatal injury of all seven people on board the aircraft.

CNN reports that, according to the state-run news service Agencia Brasil, the accident occurred about 40 miles south of Sao Paulo in the coastal city of Santos. The pilot of the aircraft was reportedly attempting to land after deviating to avoid bad weather when air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft. A witness said the Citation pitched down at a steep angle and "hit the ground like a rock," impacting a house and then terrain.

The candidate was 49-year-old Eduardo Campos, who was running for his first elective office. He was a member of the Brazilian Socialist Party. He had previously been governor of Pernambuco state, and had been a federal legislator from 1998 to 2003, according to CNN. The others on board the plane were the two pilots, an advisor, a photographer, and two others on Campos' political team. They had departed from Santos Dumont Airport in Rio de Janeiro, and were en route to Guaruja Airport in Sao Paulo state, according to Agencia Brasil.

The Brazilian Air Force said the accident was caused by bad weather at the airport, but that an investigation was continuing. The aircraft's maintenance and inspection records were reportedly all in order, the state news service said.

FMI: www.anac.gov.br/portal/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?sid=330