It has been confirmed that an airship crashed into a residential building in the Sao Paulo suburb of Osasco, Brazil, on September 26, 2024.
The accident happened around midday local time, when the airship, which had been hired by local football club Sao Paulo FC for promotional purposes, was overflying one of the city’s neighborhoods when it deflated for no apparent reason.
The whole accident was captured on video, with footage appearing on social media shortly after.
The airship involved in the incident is a Brazilian-made ADB 3-3, produced by ‘Airship do Brasil’, a subsidiary of Brazilian group Bertolini Enterprises. 49 meters long and 17 meters high, the ADB 3-3 can reach speeds of up to 85 km/h (53 mph). It can carry a maximum of five passengers and two crew members onboard.
At the time of the accident, however, the only two people onboard were the pilot and the co-pilot, both of whom were rescued by emergency services and suffered only light injuries.
The flight, which had been authorized by the aviation authorities, was being conducted in preparation of a night overflight of the stadium where Sao Paulo FC were to play a ‘Copa Libertadores’ match against rival Brazilian football team Botafogo.
In 2023, Sao Paulo FC arranged a similar fly-past which took place without incident. The Brazilian aviation authority has started an investigation to determine what prompted the accident on this occasion.