AN ELDERLY pilot has been found alive more than 24 hours after a horror plane crash.
Altevir Edson, 72, was feared dead after his small plane fell out of the sky over a dense forest near Belém, northern Brazil.
Altevir’s single-engine aircraft got into difficulty when a vulture flew into its propeller.
The collision with the huge bird sent the plane plummeting down to earth.
When the wreck of the plane was discovered, Altevir was nowhere to be seen.
Authorities launched a frantic search to find the pilot – but the density of the rainforest hampered efforts.
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The 72-year-old is thought to have wandered into the dense vegetation to look for help after the crash.
But he quickly became disorientated and lost.
The pilot was eventually found more than three miles from the crash site, after search and rescue teams deployed sniffer dogs and a drone to look for him.
Footage shows rescuers up to their necks in water as they help Altevir to safety.
Lieutenant Colonel Abedolins Xavier said: “He was disoriented, with many abrasions and restricted mobility.
“We performed an improvised rescue and managed to transport him to a populated area.”
He was treated at the scene before being taken to a nearby hospital.
Local reports said he is an experienced pilot and that crashes with wildlife are a known risk when flying smaller planes.
Police said they found a watch, glasses, and clothing left abandoned by the plane wreck.
The plane’s window had been smashed and bloodstains were left at the scene.
The Brazilian Air Force said the crash is being investigated.
It comes after a jet smashed into a low-rise building in Belo Horizonte, in the southeast of Brazil.
One of the victims of the harrowing plane crash was identified as the mayor’s son.
