- Brazil plane crash: Experts search for cause
Following the crash of a passenger plane with 62 fatalities, investigators are analyzing the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. Both devices, known as the "black box," were opened, as seen in a video from the Civil Aviation Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (Cenipa). The orange devices are expected to provide insights into the cause of the tragedy near the Brazilian metropolis of São Paulo. They were taken to Cenipa's lab in Brasília for data analysis, as reported by the local news portal "G1". Within 30 days, Cenipa aims to publish a preliminary report on the crash.
Investigations into flight-related activities, operational environment, and human factors are underway, along with a study of components and systems, according to G1. The VoePass aircraft, a turboprop ATR 72, crashed into a residential area in the town of Vinhedo while approaching São Paulo on Friday afternoon (local time). All 58 passengers and four crew members were killed, with no injuries reported on the ground. Data from Flightradar 24 suggests the plane dropped nearly 4,000 meters in less than a minute. Video footage showed the aircraft spinning in the air before crashing into the grounds of a residential building and exploding.
All bodies were recovered by Saturday evening (local time), around 30 hours after the accident. Among the victims were a father and his three-year-old daughter, who were celebrating Father's Day, which falls on Sunday in Brazil, as well as doctors, businesspeople, and professors, according to a G1 report.
Warnings of severe weather and icing at the crash site
Cenipa's director stated that both environmental and technical factors, as well as possible human error, are being investigated. Meteorological reports around the time of the accident suggest turbulence, thunderstorms, and icing in the area, according to Flightradar 24. Experts are exploring the possibility of ice formation on the wings, which could turn the plane into "a stone without lift," as reported by the Brazilian news portal UOL. There was a warning of icing at the crash site. VoePass CEO Eduardo Busch did not rule out the possibility of ice accumulation on the wings, but noted that the pilots were experienced and the plane was functioning properly at takeoff. Other experts suggest that multiple factors may have contributed to the crash.
One of the deadliest accidents in Brazilian aviation history
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared a three-day national mourning period. According to media reports, the accident is one of the deadliest in Brazilian aviation history. In 2007, a TAM Airlines plane overshot the runway at São Paulo's Congonhas Airport and crashed into a gas station, killing 199 people.
In memory, many also recall the crash of November 28, 2016, when the plane of the Brazilian football club Chapecoense, en route to Medellín for the Copa Sudamericana final, crashed in Colombia. At that time, 71 people lost their lives, including almost all the players, as well as coaches, staff, and accompanying journalists. Six passengers survived.
The aircraft involved in Friday's incident was a turboprop passenger plane, an ATR 72, operated by the Franco-Italian consortium Avions de Transport Régional. In January 2023, an ATR 72-500, on approach to Pokhara airport in Nepal, crashed, killing all 72 on board, including four crew members.
The plane that crashed near São Paulo, resulting in numerous fatalities, was a turboprop ATR 72, hailing from Brazilian carrier VoePass. Despite the severe weather warnings and icing conditions at the crash site, the flight continued towards São Paulo.
