Airplane crash in Brazil: Investigators also investigate weather-related cause
An airplane crashed over a residential area in Brazil - all 61 on board perished. The cause of the catastrophe remains unclear, with investigations focusing on human error, technical, and meteorological factors. The flight data recorder, or "black box," is expected to provide answers.
Investigations into the cause of a passenger plane crash in Brazil that killed 61 people have begun. "It's still very early," said Marcelo Moreno, head of the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa), at a press conference. Environmental and technical factors, as well as possible human error, are being investigated to determine what caused the crash in the city of Vinhedo in the state of São Paulo. Moreno said the flight data recorder, or "black box," had been found by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) and was crucial to the investigation.
São Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas promised all necessary support. According to Flightradar 24, meteorological reports around the time of the crash indicate turbulence, thunderstorms, and icing in the area. Pilots flying over the region on the day of the crash posted photos of icing on their cockpit windows in Brazilian aviation groups, according to Bild newspaper.
James Waterhouse, an aeronautics expert at the University of São Paulo, told ARD that icing of the wings could have made the aircraft uncontrollable. "If it was indeed icing, which we cannot confirm yet, then at some point the airplane's de-icing system may have failed," he explained. Alternatively, the icing could have occurred so rapidly that the pilot may not have had enough time to take necessary actions. "In other words, there's a lot to investigate."
Pilots did not issue a distress call
The Brazilian Air Force's Air Accident Investigation Center told AP that the pilots of the doomed plane did not respond to calls from São Paulo air traffic control and did not issue a distress call or report adverse weather conditions.
VoePass CEO Eduardo Busch did not rule out the possibility of ice accumulating on the wings. However, he noted that the pilots were experienced and the aircraft was operational at the time of takeoff. "The aircraft was 100% operational at the time of departure," Busch said.
Currently, there is no information on the cause of the plane crash, Busch emphasized. The airline will work closely with Cenipa to investigate the case. "We are waiting for access to all communications between the pilot and the control tower to gain a better understanding of the events."
"I've never heard such a loud bang"
The VoePass aircraft was flying from the city of Cascavel in the state of Paraná to Guarulhos airport near São Paulo on Friday, carrying 57 passengers and four crew members. Initially, the airline reported 58 passengers, later correcting the number.
Images and videos on social media showed a plane losing control in mid-air and plummeting from the sky, followed by thick smoke. A resident who recorded a video of the burning plane told TV station UOL, "I've never heard such a loud bang in my life." Data from flight tracking platform Flightradar 24 suggests the plane dropped nearly 4,000 meters in less than a minute. It crashed in a residential area near a house where people were present, according to news portal G1, citing local authorities in Vinhedo. Miraculously, no one on the ground was injured.
Memories of 2016
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared a three-day national mourning. "A very sad news. My deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims," he tweeted. The accident is reportedly one of the deadliest in Brazilian aviation history.
Many recall the crash on November 28, 2016, when a plane carrying the Brazilian football club Chapecoense to Medellín for the Copa Sudamericana final crashed in Colombia. Of the 71 on board, 66 died, including most of the team's players, staff, and accompanying journalists. Six survived.
The doomed plane on Friday was an ATR 72 turboprop passenger aircraft, a shoulder-winged plane produced by the Franco-Italian consortium Avions de Transport Régional. In January 2023, an ATR 72-500 crashed while attempting to land at Pokhara airport in Nepal, killing all 72 on board, including four crew members.
Investigators are examining various factors, including human error, environmental conditions, and technical malfunctions, to determine the cause of the airplane crash in Brazil that claimed 61 lives. The wreckage of the aircraft, an ATR 72-600, was discovered in a residential area, leaving no casualties on the ground.
