Pilot Henrique Martin and researcher Lydia Möcklinghoff killed in Brazil plane crash

On 3 July 2026 a twin‑engine Embraer EMB‑810 (also described as a Seneca) departed Santa Maria Airport near Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Minutes after take‑off the aircraft crashed into forested terrain less than a kilometre from the runway, killing the 42‑year‑old pilot Henrique Martin and 45‑year‑old German zoologist Lydia Möcklinghoff. Möcklinghoff, a leading expert on the giant anteater and known to the public through Germany’s “Sendung mit der Maus”, was on a research flight to the Pantanal region. The cause is under investigation by Brazil’s aviation authority Cenipa; dense fog and possible loss of orientation have been mentioned as factors. The pilot’s body was buried on 4 July in Campo Grande. The German zoo in Dortmund and colleagues mourned the loss, highlighting her contributions to anteater conservation and science communication.