Environmental causes of plane crash in Brazil: Investigators also investigate
A plane crashes over a residential area in Brazil - all 61 on board perish. The cause of the disaster remains unclear. Human error, technical, and meteorological factors are being investigated. The black box will provide answers.
Investigations into the cause of a passenger plane crash in a residential area in Brazil, killing 61, 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 examined to determine what caused the crash in the city of Vinhedo in the state of São Paulo. The flight data recorder, or "black box," has been found by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), he said, which is crucial for the investigation.
The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, promised all necessary support. According to Flightradar 24, meteorological reports around the time of the accident suggest turbulence, thunderstorms, and icing in the area. Pilots flying over the accident region on the day of the crash posted photos of ice on their cockpit windows in Brazilian aviation groups, reported Bild newspaper.
"It could have been icing of the wings," said James Waterhouse, an aeronautics expert at the University of São Paulo, to ARD. This could have made the aircraft uncontrollable. "If it was indeed icing, which we cannot confirm yet, then at some point the aircraft's de-icing system could have failed," he explained. Or the icing could have occurred so quickly that the pilot may not have had enough time to take all necessary measures. "In other words, there's a lot to investigate."
Pilots did not issue a distress call
The Brazilian Air Force's Center for Investigation of Air Accidents told AP that the pilots of the crashed plane did not respond to calls from air traffic control in São Paulo. They also 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. The pilots were experienced and the plane started with functioning systems. "The plane was 100 percent operational at the time of takeoff," said Busch.
Currently, there is no information about the cause of the plane crash, he 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."
"Never heard such a loud bang before"
The VoePass plane was flying from the city of Cascavel in the state of Paraná to Guarulhos airport in São Paulo on Friday with 57 passengers and four crew members on board. Initially, the airline reported 58 passengers and later corrected this number.
Pictures and videos on social media showed the plane losing control in the air and plummeting from the sky, leaving a trail of 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. According to news portal G1, citing local authorities in Vinhedo, the plane crashed near a residential area, but no one on the ground was injured.
Memories of 2016
Meanwhile, 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 posted on X. 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. Seventy-one people died, including almost all the players, staff, and accompanying journalists. Six passengers survived.
The plane that crashed on Friday was a turboprop passenger plane, an ATR 72, a shoulder-wing aircraft produced by the Franco-Italian consortium Avions de Transport Régional. In January 2023, 72 people, including four crew members, died when an ATR 72-500 crashed while attempting to land at Pokhara airport in Nepal.
Despite the ongoing investigation, the tragic accident has been labeled as one of the unfortunate incidents in Brazilian aviation history. The lack of a distress call from the pilots further adds to the mystery, as it leaves several questions unanswered about the events leading up to the crash.
