Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos died Wednesday when a small plane carrying him to a campaign stop crashed into a residential neighborhood , state media reported . All seven people aboard the the Cessna 560XL were killed when the aircraft crashed in the coastal city of Santos , Brazil , about 40 miles south of Sao Paulo , state-run Agencia Brasil reported . As the aircraft prepared to land , it swerved because of bad weather . The air traffic control tower immediately lost contact with the plane , Agencia Brasil said . One witness , a pilot trainee , said he heard a loud noise and saw the plane flying low before it crashed into a house and then the ground . It was pitched down at 70 degrees , and `` hit the ground like a rock , '' Matheus Giovannini said . Campos , 49 , was a well known politician running in his first presidential election as a candidate for the Brazilian Socialist Party . He was most recently the governor of Pernambuco state and was a federal lawmaker from 1998 to 2003 . He was married and had five children . An adviser , photographer , two pilots , and two others from Campos ' political team were also killed in the plane crash . A dozen people on the ground were injured when the plane crashed , Agencia Brasil reported . Messages of mourning appeared on Campos ' campaign website hours after the crash . `` We lost Eduardo Campos when Brazil most needed his patriotism , his selflessness , his fearlessness and his competence , '' said Roberto Amaral , the party 's first vice-president . `` It is not just Pernambuco and its people who lose their leader , not just the Brazilian Socialist Party that loses its leader . It is Brazil that loses a young and promising statesman . '' Campos ' death sent shock waves across the South American country 's political landscape less than two months before the October 5 presidential vote , leaving supporters stunned and wondering who would replace him on the ballot . Campos was among the serious contenders in the election , steady in third place in the polls at about 8 % , according to pollster Datafolha . The two leading candidates are incumbent President Dilma Rousseff and center-right candidate Aecio Neves . Eight other candidates are polling at 3 % or lower . According to Agencia Brasil , Rousseff will suspend her campaign for three days . Neves said on his Twitter account that he would also suspend his campaign activities . `` All of Brazil is in mourning . Today we lost a great Brazilian , Eduardo Campos . We lost a great friend , '' Rousseff said via Twitter . Brazil 's Superior Electoral Tribunal , which runs the country 's elections , announced that Campos ' coalition had 10 days to nominate a new candidate . Campos ' vice presidential running mate , Marina Silva , a former senator and environmental minister , is also a well known politician with a solid base of supporters . She ran for president in 2010 for the country 's Green Party . The country 's Air Force said Wednesday 's plane crash was due to bad weather , but it is continuing to investigate the accident . The plane had departed from Santos Dumont airport in Rio de Janeiro en route to Guaruja airport in Sao Paulo state , Agencia Brasil reported . Its maintenance and inspection records were up to date , the state outlet said .
Messages of mourning appear on Eduardo Morales ' campaign website . Eduardo , a well known businessman and presidential candidate , died in a plane crash . A Cessna taking him to a campaign stop crashed into a residential area . All seven people aboard the plane were killed , state media reported .