Learjet 35 Crashes in Brazil

A Learjet 35 crashed November 4 in São Paulo, Brazil, killing at least eight people. Witnesses said the airplane, owned by São Paulo-based air-taxi operator Reali Taxi Aerea, was attempting to return to Campo do Marte Airport just after takeoff in light rain, when it slammed nose first into a suburban neighborhood. Killed in the crash were
the pilot, copilot and at least six people on the ground, according to São Paulo authorities. In October, the head of Brazil’s National Civilian Aviation Agency, Milton Zuanazzi, resigned amid criticism related to two recent high-profile accidents: the July crash of a TAM Airbus at Congonhas Airport and the September 2006 midair between a Gol Airlines Boeing 737 and an Embraer Legacy 600.