Aviation influencer Lito Sousa dies at 59 after rare brain disease

Brazilian aviation influencer Lito Sousa died Thursday at age 59, just over a month after being diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a rare and fatal degenerative brain disorder. His wife, Mila Seidl, announced the death on social media, describing him as a devoted father to their 7-year-old son, Maloni, and the most principled person she had known.

Sousa built a following of over 2.4 million on Instagram through his channel "Aviões e Músicas," where he used 36 years of experience as an aircraft mechanic for carriers including Varig and United Airlines to explain aviation simply. A 2016 collaboration with the science channel Manual do Mundo garnered 3.9 million views and introduced him to a wider audience.

“I don't have fear of dying. I don't have it because I lived a good life, a life where I never did harm to anyone.”

Diagnosed on August 21, Sousa documented his decline publicly while seeking experimental treatments, including the drug ION717 from Ionis Pharmaceuticals, though the trial was closed to new participants. He told followers he did not fear death but worried about missing his son's childhood, saying the hardest part would be his wife's and child's suffering.

Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) issued a statement recognizing Sousa's contributions to disseminating aviation knowledge and strengthening operational safety culture. Fellow creator Iberê Thenório of Manual do Mundo praised Sousa's legacy of helping thousands lose their fear of flying.