• Pilot dies in small plane crash off Copacabana beach
• He was towing an advertising banner

A small plane crashed while towing an advertising banner off Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday afternoon, killing the pilot, local authorities said.

The pilot’s body was sent to the medical examiner’s office for identification, officials said.

Rescue teams from the fire department conducted searches at the site using jet skis, inflatable boats, divers, and aerial support, with sonar equipment also employed to locate possible additional victims and wreckage.

Security camera footage released by authorities showed the plane diving nose-first into the sea near the beach around 12:30 p.m. local time (15:30 GMT).

The Brazilian Air Force announced it had opened an investigation into the cause of the accident, noting that the aircraft was a Cessna 170A owned by an advertising company.