Background
On 23 September 2025, a small plane crashed in the rural area of the municipality of Aquidauana, located in the Pantanal region of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. All four occupants, including Chinese landscape architect and urban planner Kongjian Yu, were killed.
The passengers were in the region to film a documentary about a project addressing climate change issues based on the "sponge city" concept, an urban planning model developed by Yu that emphasizes infrastructure capable of absorbing rainwater to mitigate flood risks and improve urban climate. Yu was the founder of the College of Architecture and Landscape at Peking University. He was also in Brazil for the 14th International Architecture Biennale of São Paulo, held the same month.
Two additional team members were scheduled to board the flight but were unable to do so due to the plane's maximum capacity of four people.
Aircraft
The aircraft, a Cessna 175 Skylark registered as PT-BAN, belonged to the family of the pilot, Marcelo Barros, and was used by him for internal flights as a guide to locations such as the Barra Mansa farm. Official documents showed that the plane was authorized to operate only private air services and had been denied a license to perform air taxi activities.
Investigation
According to preliminary information, the plane made three flights on the day of the crash. It attempted to land after the permitted time for the runway, which operated only under visual flight rules. During the second landing attempt, following a go-around, the aircraft lost altitude and crashed, causing an explosion. A witness reported hearing the explosion at exactly 6 p.m. local time and then seeing smoke.
Despite initial allegations, police ruled out the presence of white-lipped peccaries on the runway as a factor in the crash.
Victims
The four occupants on the flight were:
- Kongjian Yu, 62, Chinese landscape architect and urban planner
- Luiz Fernando Feres da Cunha Ferraz, Brazilian documentary filmmaker
- Rubens Crispim Jr., Brazilian director and documentary filmmaker
- Marcelo Pereira de Barros, the plane's pilot and owner
All bodies were found burned beyond recognition.
Reactions
Following Yu's death, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote on social media: "In times of climate change, Yu became a global reference with his sponge cities, which unite quality of life and environmental protection." Vice President Geraldo Alckmin stated that Yu was known for his "notable contributions to sustainable urbanism, the preservation of biodiversity, and the protection of the planet," adding that his legacy will continue to inspire those dedicated to the ecological cause.