A Voepass passenger plane crashed into a gated residential community in Vinhedo, São Paulo state, Brazil, on Friday, August 11, 2023, killing all 61 people on board, according to local authorities and the airline. The aircraft, an ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop, was carrying 57 passengers and 4 crew members when it went down just 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of São Paulo’s bustling metropolis.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:00 PM local time, though exact timing is still under investigation. Emergency services, including São Paulo’s firefighters, military police, and civil defense teams, were dispatched to the scene promptly after the crash was reported. However, despite the rapid response, there were no survivors from the flight.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the plane spiral out of control before crashing into the Capela neighborhood, a district far from Vinhedo’s city center. “I thought it was going to fall in our yard,” said local resident Ana Lucia de Lima, who witnessed the crash. She, like other residents, was thankful that there were no fatalities among those on the ground. “It was scary, but thank God there were no victims among the locals.”
The ill-fated flight, designated as Voepass 2283, had departed earlier in the day from Cascavel in Paraná state and was scheduled to land at São Paulo’s international airport, Guarulhos. Many of the passengers were reportedly doctors from Paraná, en route to attend a seminar in São Paulo.
“They were people who were used to saving lives, and now they lost theirs in such tragic circumstances.”
Paraná’s Governor Ratinho Júnior, who had friends aboard the flight, expressed his deep sorrow.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, upon learning of the tragedy, requested a moment of silence during an event in southern Brazil and later declared three days of national mourning in honor of the victims.
The airline Voepass confirmed the fatalities in a statement, emphasizing their commitment to supporting the victims’ families and collaborating fully with authorities to determine the cause of the crash; Adding that they provided a flight manifest with passenger names but did not disclose their nationalities.
“The company regrets to inform that all 61 people on board flight 2283 died at the site,”
The airline Voepass confirmed
The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing. Initial speculation pointed to the possibility of icing conditions as the plane approached Vinhedo. A report from Globo’s meteorological center confirmed the potential for ice formation in the area at the time of the crash, although aviation experts cautioned that icing alone might not fully explain the plane’s loss of control.
Marcelo Moura, Voepass’s director of operations, acknowledged the weather forecasts but stated that they were within acceptable limits for the ATR 72 aircraft. Similarly, Lt. Col. Carlos Henrique Baldi, who leads the investigation division at the Brazilian air force’s center for the investigation and prevention of air accidents, noted that it was too early to definitively attribute the crash to icing. He highlighted that the ATR 72 is certified to operate under severe icing conditions and is widely used in regions with more extreme weather than Brazil.
The plane’s black box was recovered and is expected to provide critical data that could help investigators understand what happened in the moments leading up to the crash. French-Italian plane manufacturer ATR confirmed that the aircraft involved was an ATR 72-500 model and stated that their specialists are fully engaged in supporting the investigation.
In the aftermath of the crash, Brazil’s Federal Police has launched its own investigation, sending specialists in plane crashes and disaster victim identification to the site. Authorities have begun the grim task of transferring the bodies to the morgue, where they will work to identify the victims. Families have been asked to provide medical records, X-rays, and dental exams to aid in this process.
The ATR 72 aircraft, which has been in service since the late 1980s, has been involved in several crashes over the decades, with the Aviation Safety Network recording over 470 fatalities across different incidents. The model is primarily used for short-haul flights and is favored for its efficiency and reliability, although recent accidents have raised concerns over its safety in adverse weather conditions.
The tragedy in Vinhedo has shocked Brazil and the international community, as investigators work to uncover the causes of this devastating crash and prevent future tragedies.
