Overview
- The crash occurred on Friday, July 3, when a twin‑engine Embraer/Neiva EMB‑810D 'Seneca' crashed minutes after taking off from Santa Maria airport near Campo Grande.
- Both passenger Lydia Möcklinghoff and the pilot, Henrique Martin, died and Brazilian reports say there were no other people on board.
- Cenipa, Brazil’s air accident investigation body, is examining meteorological records, pilot actions and the aircraft’s technical status while early accounts point to dense morning fog and possible spatial disorientation but do not rule out mechanical failure.
- Möcklinghoff was an internationally recognized expert on the giant anteater who worked in the Pantanal since 2009 and collaborated with institutions such as Zoo Dortmund while also reaching broad audiences through books, podcasts and WDR appearances.
- Brazilian media report her body is being prepared for transfer to Germany and colleagues have publicly mourned her loss, which may prompt a review of safety protocols for routine small‑plane transfers used in remote fieldwork.