KUALA LUMPUR, August 10 – A Voepass ATR 72-500 carrying 57 passengers and four crew crashed in Vinhedo, São Paulo, yesterday, killing all on board. The flight was en route from Cascavel to Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo.
AFP reported that images broadcast by local media showed a large plane spinning as it plunged almost vertically, while other images showed a large column of smoke rising from the crash site in what appeared to be a residential area.
In a report by DailyMail.comAn aviation expert today shared his findings on the likely cause of the “death spiral” of a Brazilian passenger plane.
Captain Ross Aimer, who has 40 years of experience as a passenger airliner pilot in the US, told DailyMail.com that a possible engine failure, a malfunction in the flight controls or the falling off of a key aircraft part, such as the wing, could have been the cause of the crash.
He noted that once an aircraft enters a death spiral, it is extremely difficult to escape.
Accordingly DailyMail.comAimer said the most likely cause was a low-speed stall of the aircraft.
He explained that this happens when the airflow over the wings is too slow to generate enough lift. It happens when an aircraft is moving too slowly due to a mechanical failure, extreme turbulence, pilot error or other reasons, such as a bird hitting the wing.
However, the airline stated that the plane was at an altitude of 17,000 feet and the possibility of a bird accident was therefore unlikely.
Videos on social media showed the plane spinning and then crashing.
