An ATR72-500 operated by regional carrier Voepass crashed near Sao Paulo yesterday killing 57 passengers and 4 crew.
The plane was operating a flight from Cascavel in the southern state of Paraná to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos airport when it appeared to fall out of the sky about 1 hour and 30 minutes into the flight.
Video circulating on social media shows the aircraft in what appears to be a flat spin as it plummeted to the ground in a residential area. No one on the ground was killed.
BREAKING: Media reports that a Voepass ATR-72 has crashed in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Unverified video shows the aircraft spinning out of control while enroute to Guarulhos, Brazil. More details to follow. pic.twitter.com/1X0QVdGZ0Q
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) August 9, 2024
President Lula paid tribute to the victims saying “I have to be the bearer of very bad news and I would like everyone to stand up so that we can have a minute of silence,”
According to Brazilian Authorities, the ATR72-500 was 14 years old, and the flight crew were all properly licensed to carry out the flight. They also confirmed the aircraft had a valid airworthiness certificate and was in “good operating order”.
Flight Data and Cockpit Voice recorders have been recovered from the scene and will be used in the investigation into the accident which Brazilian authorities will carry out with assistance from France where ATR aircraft are built.
The crash is Brazil’s worst air disaster since 2007.