Gabriel Diniz, one of Brazil’s most successful current pop stars, has been killed in a plane crash, aged 28.

His plane took off from the city of Salvador in Bahia state on Monday 27 May, bound for Maceió further up the east coast, but it crashed in bad weather in Porto do Mato. Diniz was killed along with two pilots, Linaldo Xavier and Abraão Farias. The star had reportedly been travelling to his girlfriend to celebrate her birthday.

His management confirmed his death, “with great pain”, to Us magazine.

The reason for the crash is not yet clear, but witnesses reported hearing the plane’s engine failing. Brazilian media reported that the Piper PA-28 Cherokee was deemed airworthy, but was not licensed for air taxi trips such as the one Diniz was apparently making. It was instead only meant to be used for flight training. Diniz’s father asserted that Diniz had booked and paid for the flight, and had not caught a free ride as some of his friends had claimed.

Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) is reported to be investigating the crash, and has suspended the Aeroclube de Alagoas which operated the aircraft.

Diniz, who grew up in João Pessoa in the north-east of Brazil, and built up his music career while also working as an electrical engineer. He grew a huge following in Brazil, particularly in the wake of his 2018 hit Jenifer – an upbeat pop track about a casual relationship on the dating app Tinder; it has 237m streams on YouTube, and 4.7m people follow the singer on Instagram. Other hits include Acabou Acabou with the singer Wesley Safadão, who tweeted: “No wonder you had the name of an angel, my friend Gabriel … I will carry your smile and your friendship with me forever.”

The Liverpool and Brazil footballer Robert Firmino has also paid tribute, saying: “The message of love and joy that you left here on Earth was incredible.”