Two killed in Brazil plane crash carrying German researcher

A small twin‑engine aircraft operating as an air‑taxi crashed near the Santa Maria aerodrome in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, on the morning of 3 July 2026. The Neiva‑type plane, registered PT‑WYQ and owned by Amapil Taxi Aéreo, was en route to the Pantanal region when it struck forested terrain in foggy conditions.

Both occupants died: pilot Henrique Martin de Carvalho and German wildlife specialist Lydia Theresia Möcklinghoff, who had been conducting research on the giant anteater in the Pantanal since 2009. Brazilian Air Force investigators from the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) were dispatched to the site, and local police performed initial on‑scene examinations.

The aircraft was reported to be airworthy and authorized for six‑passenger service under the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). Authorities continue to examine the cause of the crash.