According to O Globo, the 12-seat Cessna 560XL (registration PR-AFA) reportedly crashed after an aborted landing in at Santos Air Base in nearby Guaruja, Brazil. The resulting crash left the Brazilian presidential candidate dead along with four other passengers and two pilots.
Attempting to land in bad weather, the jet swerved wildly in bad weather before crashing into a densely populated neighborhood, reports CNN.
The Cessna was reportedly flying nose down and "hit the ground like a rock," witness Matheus Giovannini told CNN.
According to Ultimo Segundo, the Cessna was owned by Cessna Finance Export Corporation, but operated by Sao Paulo-based AF Andrade Enterprises. The Brazilian National Aviation Agency (ANAC) told O Globo that the aircraft (registration code PR-AFA) was inspected and certified to fly by the agency in February.
First introduced in 1996, the Cessna 560XL is an iteration of the highly Cessna Citation line of private jets. In 18 years of service, the plane has racked up a stellar safety record.