SAO PAULO, Brazil: Brazilian authorities completed the recovery of the bodies of 62 individuals who perished in a tragic plane crash on Friday. The ATR 72-500 aircraft, operated by Voepass, crashed into a residential area in Vinhedo, located approximately 80 kilometers northwest of São Paulo, Brazil’s financial hub.
The plane, which had been in flight from Cascavel in southern Paraná state to São Paulo’s Guarulhos international airport, plummeted almost vertically before exploding in flames upon impact.
The crash, which resulted in the plane’s fuselage being nearly “flattened,” has been described as one of Brazil’s most devastating aviation disasters in recent history. Sao Paulo fire lieutenant Olivia Perroni Cazo detailed the severity of the crash, noting that the plane’s impact and subsequent explosion left the wreckage in a state of utter destruction.
Authorities have recovered all 62 bodies, comprising 34 men and 28 women. Identification efforts are underway, with two individuals identified so far as the pilot and co-pilot. The bodies have been transported to São Paulo for further identification and delivery to their families. The Brazilian government has declared three days of national mourning in response to the tragedy.
The Brazilian Air Force reported that the plane had been cruising at 17,000 feet for about an hour before it began a rapid descent at 1:21 pm local time. Radar contact was lost a minute later, and no emergency declarations were made by the crew. Conditions were reported to be within acceptable parameters for flight, and the plane had recently undergone routine maintenance.
The Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) has begun examining the aircraft’s black boxes to determine the cause of the crash. These devices, which record cabin conversations and in-flight data, are critical for understanding what led to the disaster. CENIPA’s preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
Initial speculations suggest that icing on the plane’s wings may have contributed to the accident, though this remains under investigation. ATR, the aircraft’s manufacturer, has confirmed that the plane was compliant with all current safety standards and that the four crew members were fully certified.
The crash, which transformed the plane into a mass of twisted metal, fortunately resulted in no casualties on the ground. The normally peaceful Vinhedo neighborhood experienced a significant emergency response, including police, ambulances, and fire trucks. The accident marks Brazil’s worst aviation disaster since the 2007 crash of a TAM Airlines Airbus A320, which killed 199 people.
As Brazil grapples with the aftermath of this catastrophic event, the focus now turns to uncovering the precise causes of the crash and ensuring such a tragedy does not recur.
