Nothing adds gravitas to a major sports event like a blimp causally patrolling the skies around the stadium. A soccer club’s blimp slowly crashed into a residential neighborhood in São Paulo, Brazil on Wednesday. Thankfully, only one person was injured in the slow-motion disaster that caused people to jog for their lives.
The blimp decked out in the colors and logo of São Paulo Futebol Clube was conducting a test flight over the Osasco neighborhood when it went down. Footage of the aftermath shows the cockpit resting in the street with the deflated envelope draped over buildings and power lines. The blimp was on hand for a quarter-final match against Rio de Janeiro club Botafogo in Copa Libertadores, South America’s most prestigious club competition. São Paulo was eliminated after a penalty shootout. No blimp, no win.
While one person was injured, the blimp crash was a somewhat comical diversion from tragic recent events in Brazilian aviation. Voepass Flight 2283 crashed outside São Paulo last month, killing all 62 people onboard. The flight’s ATR 72-500 twin-turboprop plane entered a flat spin, likely due to ice buildup on the wings. An initial report stated that the plane’s de-icing system could have failed.