Tragedy in Brazil - Causes of plane crash with 61 dead still unclear
After the crash of a passenger plane into a residential area near the Brazilian metropolis of São Paulo, with 61 fatalities, investigators are focusing on the analysis of flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders to determine the cause. Both devices, known as the "black box," have been found, according to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). Whether and to what extent they can provide insights depends on the extent of their damage, it was reported. The analysis will be carried out as soon as possible.
The aircraft, operated by airline VoePass, was a turboprop passenger plane of the ATR 72 type, and crashed into a residential area of the town of Vinhedo just before landing in São Paulo on Friday afternoon (local time). All 57 passengers and four crew members were killed, with no reported injuries on the ground. Data from the Flightradar 24 platform suggests that the aircraft dropped by almost 4,000 meters in less than a minute.
Several factors are being investigated as possible causes of the crash, including environmental and technical factors, as well as possible human error. Meteorological reports for the time around the accident indicate turbulence, thunderstorms, and icing in the area, according to Flightradar 24. Experts are also considering the possibility of ice formation on the wings, which could turn the aircraft into "a stone without lift," as reported by the Brazilian news portal Uol. The CEO of VoePass, Eduardo Busch, did not rule out the possibility of ice accumulation on the wings. The pilots were experienced, and the aircraft started with functioning systems. "The aircraft was 100% operational at the time of takeoff," Busch said.
Other experts do not rule out the possibility that multiple factors contributed to the crash. Cockpit voice recorders capture conversations in the cockpit, while data recorders capture flight data.
Images and videos on social media show the aircraft spinning out of control and falling from the sky, with thick smoke rising afterward. It crashed into a residential settlement near a house where residents were present, according to the news portal "G1" citing local authorities in Vinhedo.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared a three-day national mourning period. The governor of São Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas, promised all necessary support.
The crash is reported by media outlets to be one of the deadliest in Brazilian aviation history. Many remember the crash of November 28, 2016, when the plane of the Brazilian football club Chapecoense crashed on its way to Medellín for the Copa Sudamericana final, killing 71 people, including almost the entire team, coaches, and accompanying journalists. Six passengers survived.
The Friday tragedy was a turboprop passenger aircraft of the type ATR 72, produced by the Franco-Italian consortium Avions de Transport Régional. In January 2023, 72 people on board an ATR 72-500, which was attempting to land at Pokhara Airport in Nepal, lost their lives, including four crew members.
The crash site of the damaged aircraft was located in the town of Vinhedo, which is near São Paulo in Brazil. Investigators hope that the data from the black boxes, recovered from the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), will provide valuable insights into the cause of the accident involving VoePass's ATR 72 aircraft.
