The president of Palmas football club and four of its players along with the pilot were killed when a small plane taking them to a Brazilian cup game crashed on take-off. The fourth tier club said president Lucas Meira, along with players Lucas Praxedes, Guilherme Noe, Ranule and Marcus Molinari died in the crash.
“The plane took off and crashed at the end of the runway at the Tocantinense Aviation Association,” a small airfield near the city of Palmas, the club said. “We regret to report there are no survivors.”
The plane was heading to Goiania, around 800 km away, where Palmas were due to play Vila Nova in the last 16 of the Copa Verde, a tournament reserved for teams outside the traditional powerhouses of southern and northeastern Brazil.
