Horrifying video: All 61 people on board the regional passenger plane Voepass perished when it crashed into a gated residential neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The aircraft, which was headed for the international airport in Sao Paulo, took off from Cascavel in the state of Parana and crashed in the town of Vinhedo, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo, at around 1:30 p.m. (1630 GMT).
The terrifying footage of the crash shows the plane spinning out of control, falling straight down, and then slamming into the ground inside a gated enclave, leaving behind a destroyed fuselage that was engulfed in flames. Residents said there were no injuries among those on the ground, according to AP.
The Brazilian airline #Voepass has confirmed that a plane carrying 62 people crashed in #Vinhedo, near the city of Sao Paulo.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says all passengers appear to have died, and offers condolences to families.#planecrash pic.twitter.com/6cA4PxCbGC
— circuit. (@fitnigor) August 9, 2024
Brazil Prime Minister Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared three days of official mourning in the country. In a post on X, the Prime Minister wrote, “In memory of the 61 victims of the tragic accident in Vinhedo, we have declared 3 days of official mourning in the country.”
Sao Paulo Governor, Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas took to X and wrote, “Once again, I express my solidarity with the friends and family of the victims of this tragedy. @governosp is committed to structuring the operation to provide all necessary support to these grieving families. I thank all the professionals involved for the work carried out at this very sad time.”
The ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop aircraft of local airline Voepass, carrying 57 passengers and 4 crew members, went down in Vinhedo while en route to Guarulhos, the international airport of Sao Paulo. Authorities in Brazil are attempting to determine the precise reason of the Sao Paulo jet accident.
A plane crashed in São Paulo, Brazil, claiming the lives of 70 people.
I can’t even begin to imagine what those last few minutes would have been like. How absolutely tragic. RIP. 🙏🏻😢#planecrash #Brazil#BBNaijaS9 #Drisey #Brazilplanecrash
https://t.co/uREor5hclU— 𓆩ˢʰᵅᶬ!𓆪 (@Mo_ShAmI0) August 9, 2024
The weather department of Brazilian television network Globo “confirmed the possibility of the formation of ice in the region of Vinhedo,” according to a report released on Friday. Local media quoted specialists who said that icing may have contributed to the disaster.
Lito Sousa, a Brazilian aviation specialist, issued a warning, saying that weather circumstances might not be sufficient to explain why the plane dropped the way it did on Friday.
“Analyzing an air crash just with images can lead to wrong conclusions about the causes,” Sousa told the AP by phone. “But we can see a plane with loss of support, no horizontal speed. In this flat spin condition, there’s no way to reclaim control of the plane.”
Speaking to reporters Friday in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo Public Security Secretary Guilherme Derrite said the plane’s black box had been recovered, apparently in a preserved state while Marcelo Moura, director of operations for Voepass, told reporters Friday night that, while there were forecasts for ice, they were within acceptable levels for the aircraft.
BREAKING: All 62 passengers and crew on board have died in Brazil plane crash#Brazilplanecrash
pic.twitter.com/1Vnte59y6t— Sagar Mhatre (@MhatreGang) August 10, 2024
Lt. Col. Carlos Henrique Baldi from the Brazilian Air Force’s investigation and prevention center stated at a late afternoon press conference that it is too soon to determine if ice was a factor in the crash. The plane is “certified in several countries to fly in severe icing conditions, including in countries unlike ours, where the impact of ice is more significant,” said Baldi, who heads the center’s investigation division as quoted by AP.
The center claimed in a previous statement that the pilots of the aircraft did not report that they were flying in bad weather or ask for assistance. Silvio Costa Filho, the minister of ports and airports, told reporters in Vinhedo on Friday night that there was no proof the pilots attempted to get in touch with authorities at other airports.
(All inputs from AP)