All eight passengers of a small plane on which a popular Brazilian singer was also travelling survived a crash during landing operations.
The Cessna 550 Bravo plane burst into flames when landing at an airfield in Parelhas, northeast Brazil, on Sunday, but all those on board, including singer Rey Vaqueiro, survived and did not suffer serious injuries.
It is understood that both of the plane’s engines caught fire in the crash. The 26-year-old singer survived, as did the five other passengers and the two pilots.
The Fire Department, after crews battled the fire for five hours, said: “Firefighters tackled the blaze and cooled the engines while the remaining fuel burned off.”
The cause of the crash is still being investigated. According to CNN Brasil, local fire chief Lima Verde suggested the plane had overshot the runway due to failed brakes.
Brazilian media outlet Globo said that, according to investigators, there were no problems with the runway and that the plane’s airworthiness certificate expired in May 2027.
The Mayor of Parelhas Tiago Almeida said: “In the face of a situation no one expected to live, health professionals and an entire team rallied together to care, welcome and do what they can in the face of such a delicate emergency.”
The singer’s upcoming concerts have been cancelled. In a message, Vaqueiro said the team was “safe and receiving all the necessary medical care”.
Vaqueiro, whose real name is David Linhares Pereira de Sousa, has 3M followers on Instagram. He is also very popular on Spotify, where his music has totalled 37.7 million listens. His 2025 song “Body Splash” has 19 million views on YouTube.
He is from São Paulo, but sings traditional music from rural north-eastern Brazil. His schedule for this month originally included 33 shows and just four days off.
