THIS is the horror moment a banner plane nosedives into the sea at a packed beach, killing the pilot.
Beachgoers on the famous Copacabana Beach in Brazil watched in horror as the light aircraft plunged into the water and sank within seconds.
The plane was towing an advertising banner across the sky at in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday when the sad accident occurred in front of thousands of sunbathers.
In a shocking twist, it was the pilot’s first day on the job and it was his birthday days earlier.
He was later identified as Luiz Ricardo Leite de Amorim, originally from Goiânia.
Firefighters rushed to the scene with jet skis, boats, divers and aerial support to try save him but unfortunately it took more than two hours to recover the body.
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He was the sole occupant of the single-engine plane, and he had just celebrated his 40th birthday on December 23.
The aircraft had taken off shortly beforehand from Jacarepaguá Airport, as reported by NeedToKnow.
Risk management expert Gerardo Portela told local media it was clear the aircraft suffered some kind of malfunction.
“[The plane] struggled to stay airborne – most likely an engine failure or a problem with the control system,” he said.
“At that point, the pilot would need to release the banner, because it creates drag and can compromise his final chance of making a forced landing by gliding to the water.”
The aircraft was operated by Visual Propaganda Aérea, which authorities say did not have authorisation for the advertising campaign.
Officials have confirmed the company will be fined for “unauthorised advertising”.
In a statement, the firm said: “The aircraft involved in the accident was fully up to date with all required maintenance and certifications.”
It added that it is cooperating fully with investigators.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and the wreckage is being removed by a specialist company.
It comes after six people, including a two-year-old girl, was killed in a shooting at a beach resort in southwestern Ecuador.
Several men, armed with automatic weapons, opened fire on a group of people in the city.
The shooters began their assault at 9am local time, police alleged.A girl aged “approximately two years old” was among the victims, regional police commander Colonel William Acurio, told the media.The police commander said that the attack killed six and left three others injured.
He added that attackers “fled” the scene after the shooting.
Police are still searching for the suspects, with initial investigations suggesting internal disputes between gangs are to blame for the tragedy.
The area, in Ecuador’s Manabí province, is a popular whale-watching destination.
Local reports suggest the attack is part of a wave of violence this weekend which saw a total of nine people killed in Puerto Lopez.