On August 9, 2024, there was a tragic crash of a plane in Vinhedo, São Paulo state, killing all 62 onboard. The ATR 72-500 belonged to Voepass and had been on its route from Rio de Janeiro to Campinas when it plunged into the residential area.
Details of the Crash
Flight Information: Voepass Flight 2283 was operating with 57 passengers and 5 crew members. Most of the passengers were doctors who were on their way to a seminar in Campinas.
Crash Site: The plane crashed into a private condominium in Vinhedo. This resulted in a large fire but luckily no local residents were killed. The aircraft's fuselage was completely destroyed and the area was left with wreckage and flames (opb) (euronews).
Possible Causes
Weather Conditions: Preliminary reports indicate that the aircraft may have iced up. Meteorological data indicated there was a risk of icing in the area, but experts have warned against jumping into conclusion and to wait for proper investigation.
Flight Dynamics: The plane came down in a flat spin, according to witnesses, which is a situation that normally induces loss of control. The black box has already been recovered and will give vital data for the ongoing inquiry by Brazilian authorities (opb) (euronews).
Response and Investigation
Immediate Actions: Brazilian civil defence, firefighters and police teams have rushed to the crash site. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced three days of mourning and has called for a minute of silence as he visits southern Brazil.
Investigation: An inquiry is being headed by the Brazilian Federal Police, along with investigators from the air force's center for investigation and prevention of air accidents. Voepass affirms it is fully collaborating with the authorities to determine what caused the accident. French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR is sending specialists to support the investigation.
This will be the worst aviation accident on Brazilian soil since the 2007 TAM Airlines Flight 3054 crash. The death toll has shaken the medical fraternity, with many families having their beloved on the flight. An investigation is underway to unravel the mystery and hopefully avert any such mishaps in the near future.
You can read more coverage of the story in these original articles by OPB and Euronews.
On August 9, 2024, an ATR 72-500 aircraft, operated by Voepass Linhas Aéreas, crashed in Vinhedo, São Paulo state, Brazil. There were 57 passengers and 4 crew members on board, coming from Navegantes to São Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport, when the aircraft dived into a closed residential community, killing all 61 aboard.
The aircraft lost its control, crashing a few moments after taking off and starting a large fire that spread to the surroundings, but eliciting confusion for killing none of the inhabitants of the neighborhood where the crash happened. The accident is one of the deadliest aviation accidents to happen in Brazil in recent history; the last serious commercial accident to take place in this country was in the year 2007.
Voepass Airlines, previously known as Passaredo Linhas Aéreas, is a Brazilian regional airline that operates turboprop aircraft. The company said it was deeply sorry for the accident and had been assisting relatives of those who died, while working with authorities to uncover the cause of the crash (KAWC) (Aviation Week).
The investigation is held by the Brazilian CENIPA—Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center, which recovered both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder to determine the factors which have led to the accident. Preliminary speculation points to ice buildup, but it's too soon to come to any concrete conclusions .