All those on board were killed when a passenger jet carrying 61 passengers crashed on Friday afternoon outside of São Paulo, as stated in a statement from airline Voepass, Brazil. Social media users shared dramatic video of the jet falling and its wrecked fuselage catching fire.
The number of fatalities was revised down from an earlier estimate of 62 to “the company hates that it learnt that each of the 61 people who travelled on flight 2283 dead at the scene,” Voepass stated in a statement. The company reported that there were four crew members and 57 passengers on board.
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Although it’s unclear if any of the passengers held dual citizenship, airline personnel stated that every passenger had Brazilian documentation.
The twin-engine turboprop ATR 72-500 plunged 17,000 feet in less than a minute, according to flight monitoring data, however the reason for the drop is yet unknown.
In social media footage from the disaster, residents of the neighborhood could be heard screaming in terror as the plane spiraled out of the sky and then struck the ground. The plane’s burning wreckage was captured on camera in another video. Officials from the city told a TV program that no one was injured on the ground.
According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft took off from Cascavel from the Brazilian state of Parana and was headed to Guarulhos in the state of São Paulo when it lost signal prior to 1:30 p.m. time locally (12:30 p.m. ET).
Half a minute before it crashed, it started losing altitude. Prior to its approximately 250-foot plummet in 10 seconds at 1:21 p.m. local time, the aircraft was cruising at 17,000 feet. After that, it ascended 400 feet or so in eight seconds or less.
It lost little less than two thousand feet in eight seconds. Then, after about a minute, it started to plummet quickly, losing over 17,000 feet in that time. At 1:22 p.m. local time, the plane sent its last data transmission.
Cause unknown at this time
The cause of the crash is yet unknown, Eduardo Busch, CEO of Voepass, stated at a press conference. Busch remarked, “The whole crew was competent.” In order to comprehend the events more fully, we are awaiting access to all of the pilot’s and the control tower’s communications.
According to Busch, the aircraft contained two black boxes, which are crash-resistant devices designed to store flight data. The devices may be examined in two highly skilled laboratories.
“Retrieving data from the sensor is feasible, but there’s also a possibility that the accident’s severity damaged the recorders, making it unfeasible to get to the recorded data,” Busch explained.
Guilherme Derrite, the Security Secretary of São Paolo, stated at a news conference that a medical team is on the scene and working on recognising those injured, a lot of whom are too severely burned for visual recognition.
Authorities claim that the crash’s fire outbreaks are under control. “Legal Medical Institute (IML) in Campinas is where the victims’ bodies are being taken for legal proceedings,” a statement from Vinhedo City Hall stated.
According to a statement issued by the state government of São Paulo, relatives have been urged to submit medical records of the fatalities, “such as radiological, medical, and/or dental exams,” in order to aid in the identification of the bodies.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced a minute of silence in observance of the flight’s apparent fatalities, cutting short a speech at a naval ceremony in the afternoon to discuss the accident.
“A plane suddenly landed in the town of Vinhedo, therefore I’d want everyone to rise up so we may observe an instant of quiet. and it seems like they all passed away,” he claimed in a statement that was posted on X as a video. Later, the president announced a three-day mourning period in honor of the deceased.
According to Voepass representatives, the business spent the afternoon finding lodging and therapists for the relatives of the victims in order to help them.
A resident captured footage of the wreckage of a jet hitting her neighbor’s house out in São Paulo on camera. She told Julia Vargas Jones of a TV channel that she saw the aircraft go down while eating lunchtime in her kitchen.
She described it as a “moment of panic” for the entire city as she knelt down in fear and began to pray. First responders are present, she said, and all access to the private roads that lead up to the residences is now blocked, including for occupants.
An inquiry gets underway
In the statement released on Friday, Vinhedo City Hall stated that it is awaiting the Brazil military team’s arrival to begin looking into the crash’s cause.
The head of Brazil’s aviation accidents office, Brigadier Marcelo Moreno, stated at a press conference that the crew of the aircraft had not reported an emergency before the crash. “Based on preliminary information, it appears that there was not any data regarding the aircraft, indicating that it was experiencing any kind of emergency,” he stated during a press conference.
Busch, Voepass’ CEO, stated that the airline will collaborate with CENIPA to examine the tragedy. The Brazilian Aeronautical Registry’s registration data indicates that the Voepass aircraft was built in 2010 and was acquired by the airline in September of 2022.
Based on its registration data, the aircraft was “denied operation for air taxi.” That decision was taken at this point, albeit it’s unclear why or when.
The Brazilian aviation authority has been contacted by a news outlet to obtain further information regarding that conclusion. The manufacturer of the aircraft, ATR, says it was made aware of the accident and is assisting the investigation team.
We can currently confirm that ATR has been notified of an accident regarding an ATR 72-500 that happened in Vinhedo, Brazil. Our first concerns are for everyone who has been impacted by this incident. According to the statement, “The ATR experts are fully engaged in assisting the customer and the investigation.”
According to flight experts who spoke with a news channel, ATR 72s—which are built by a consortium based in Europe—have a troubled history. Over the world, ATR turboprop events involving passenger fatalities have been documented in at least 15 cases.
“Thank God,” said passengers who missed their trip.
A few folks were not present for Friday’s terrible flight. At least ten people got stuck at the incorrect gate and missing the flight prior to it took off, according to a man who skipped it, who spoke with the Brazilian news site Globo.
We’ve already over the boarding restriction, so you won’t be allowed to board this plane, they informed me. The man told Globo, “I even put a little pressure on them—’Mister, put me onto this plane, I need to go.'” He responded, “There’s no way, what I can accomplish is rebook your ticket.”
The passengers pleaded with the airport staff to be allowed to board the aircraft after realizing they had arrived at the incorrect gate, but they were informed they could not. After learning that the plane had crashed, the man exclaimed, “My legs are quivering; only God understands how I’m feeling.” “Thank God we missed the flight.”
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