RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 12-- Two Brazilian Air Force officers were killed on Monday in the crash of a small plane in Pirassununga, Sao Paulo state, according to local authorities.
The victims, captains Joao Igor Silva Pivovar and Fabrico Carvalho, were the pilot and copilot of a Smoke Squadron plane which crashed onto the ground during training, authorities informed.
The accident took place near the country's Air Force Academy. The two captains tried to eject from the plane, an A-29 Super Tucano model, but did not manage to escape successfully, the authorities said.
The Smoke Squadron is a famous Air Force demonstration squadron which performs air shows all over Brazil and abroad.
The A-29 Super Tucano was manufactured by Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer and is also used in border patrol in Brazil.
The Smoke Squadron was founded in 1952 and rarely registers any lethal accidents. The Air Force is investigating the cause of the accident.
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