Rio De Janeiro, Aug 3 (IANS): A Brazilian Air Force plane crashed in the country's southern state Santa Catarina, killing all eight passengers aboard, the Brazilian military said.
The plane took off from Rio de Janeiro at 11.35 a.m. and disappeared from the radar screen before it crashed into a ravine 135 km from Florianopolis, capital of the state, the Brazilian Air Force said in a press release late Tuesday.
The C-98A Grand Caravan plane was from a transport unit of the Brazilian Air Force, it said.
A witness said that he saw the plane diving into the ground before it exploded and caught fire, reported Xinhua.
This is the fifth accident involving Brazilian Air Force planes in 2011.
The Brazilian Air Force said it had launched an investigation into the accident.