New information has been released about the Brazilian passenger plane that “fell from the sky,” killing all 62 people on board.
On Friday (August 9), a Voe Pass flight from Cascavel in Paraná to Guarulhos in São Paulo crashed.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said at the time that it “appeared” that all passengers on the flight had died in the crash.
“I want everyone to stand up so we can observe a minute of silence because a plane with 58 passengers and four crew members just crashed in the city of Vinhedo, São Paulo, and it seems that they all died,” he said in a video shared on Twitter, according to CNN.
The plane crashed on Friday and all 62 people on board died. (Twitter/@GloboNews)
Meanwhile, the airline’s initial statement said: “The aircraft took off from Cascavel-PR bound for Guarulhos Airport, with 58 passengers and four crew members on board. VOEPASS has taken all measures to assist those affected.”
“There is no confirmation yet as to how the accident occurred or the current condition of those on board. The company offers telephone support on 0800 9419712, which is available 24 hours a day, and is providing information to all passengers, family members and employees.”
It was quickly confirmed that, unfortunately, all 62 people on board the flight had died, while a house in the municipality of Vinhedono was damaged.
Fortunately, no one on the ground was injured.
Footage of the horrific incident first appeared on social media, with Brazilian television station GloboNews showing a burning area and dark smoke rising from the plane.
The airline has not provided any information about the possible cause of the crash. However, investigators have confirmed that the plane’s flight recorder was found and taken to a laboratory for analysis.
The plane’s flight recorder has now been found and will hopefully shed light on the cause of the crash. (Twitter/@GloboNews)
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 has revealed that the plane was flying at an altitude of 17,000 feet before it crashed, while a “severe icing” warning was issued at an altitude between 12,000 and 21,000 feet.
Sky News reports that such a problem on aircraft can lead to reduced thrust, lower lift and higher drag.
Marcelo Moura, operations manager at Voe Pass, confirmed the reports but added that while there was a warning, the aircraft was within an acceptable time window in terms of icing.
Some witnesses to the crash, including Ana Lucia, have spoken to the press in recent days.
“I thought it was going to fall in our garden,” she said, according to Sky News.
“It was scary, but thank God there were no casualties among the locals. However, it seems that the 62 people on the plane were the real victims.”
