Dad 11-Year-Old Son Die after Boy Flies a Plane in Video – Stepmom Couldn’t Bear the Grief

A video of Garon Maia letting his son, Francisco, operate a plane recently surfaced after the father and son were reported to have died in a plane crash. The video shows their conversation, but Maia’s wife, Ana Pridonik, could not handle the grief.

A video of Garon Maia, 42, letting his son Francisco, 11, fly their private plane surfaced after the father and son were reported to have died in a plane crash. The aircraft dropped into a rainforest in Western Brazil on July 29, 2023

According to reports, Maia flew from their ranch in Nova Conquista but stopped at an airfield to refuel as he planned for him and his son to fly back to his mother in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul.

The distance was estimated to be over a thousand miles, but after the private plane took off at 5.30 p.m., it reportedly crashed only eight minutes after take-off and disappeared from the radar.

A farm worker said the plane crashed near plowed land, indicating that it did not have enough time to land. First responders searched for the father and son’s bodies for hours and only discovered them the next day, on July 30, 2023.

The video of Maia and Francisco might have surfaced after their tragic death, but it has not been confirmed that it is related to the crash. There is still no evidence that the video was taken on the same flight or day the plane crashed.

However, the clip showed Maia excitedly showing his son how to operate a plane while he sat in the co-pilot seat. First, the father let Francisco ensure there were no obstructions before he was ready to take off.

‘Wait, everything ready? Nothing in front, ok. Come on, 600 horses, you can push. 600 Kikão, go,’ said Maia in the video. From there, he guided him into taking off, “Good lady. Hand on the lever, hand on the lever. Keep your hand there and look at the speed,” Maia instructed.

When the 42-year-old thought his son had gotten the hang of it, he was seen getting comfortable sipping on a beer, “The passenger can have one, right Kiko?” he asked his son.

It is also unknown if Maia shared the video on his social media. But the father and son lost their lives, leaving Maia’s wife, Ana Pridonik, completely distraught.

The Research Center for the Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents is still investigating the reason behind the crash. However, it has also been pointed out that in Brazilian law, one is only allowed to fly a plane at 18 and must be registered with the National Civil Aviation Agency.

Maia and Francisco were buried on Tuesday, but saying goodbye to her husband and child seemed too much for Pridonik to handle.

After the funeral, Pridonik was found in her bedroom after she allegedly shot herself. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was announced dead.

Before tragically losing her family, Pridonik shared several sweet photos of her brood. The Maia family seemed adventurous and loved spending time together by the beach or on a skiing vacation. Pridonik also has a picture of her posing in front of their private plane captioned “Texas.”

Here is a story about another small plane that unexpectedly crashed.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.