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The debris at the crash site of a plane with 61 people on board in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. © Andre Penner/dpa
A plane crash in Brazil has claimed the lives of all 62 passengers. The plane had already had technical problems in the past.
Brasilia – The shock after the plane crash in Brazil is still deep. All 62 people on board the plane were killed in the accident near the Brazilian metropolis of São Paulo. The investigation into the cause of the crash is in full swing.
Plane crashes in residential area in Brazil: French investigators get involved
The plane involved in the accident was a twin-engine turboprop aircraft belonging to the airline VoePass, the ATR 72-500. It crashed into a residential area on Friday (9 August) on the way from Cascavel in the state of Paraná to São Paulo, shortly before reaching its destination. Video footage showed that the plane was spinning in the air before it plunged almost vertically into the depths and exploded. All bodies have now been recovered.
The French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR announced that it would cooperate with the investigation. As the news agency AP reported that three investigators from France have now arrived in Brazil. International aviation regulations stipulate that experts from the aircraft manufacturer’s country of origin support the investigation. In this case, they belong to the French investigative authority BEA.
According to the current state of the investigation, the entire contents of the flight data recorder and voice recorder have been secured. “We have succeeded 100 percent in obtaining the voice and data information recorded in the moments before this tragic event for society,” said Marcelo Moreno, head of the Center for the Investigation and Prevention of Aviation Accidents (Cenipa).
Shock after plane crash in Brazil: Plane was involved in breakdown months ago
The data is currently being evaluated. The engines are also being examined to determine whether the plane was running at full power at the time of the crash. In addition to technical factors, environmental factors and human error are also being examined. Experts believe that several causes could have led to a crash. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
As the news portal G1 reported that the crashed plane had already broken down at the beginning of the year. After a hydraulic problem, the tail came into contact with the runway. This led to “structural damage”. The plane was not due to resume regular flight operations until three months later. But on the first flight from Ribeirão Preto to Guarulhos, problems arose again – apparently due to a drop in pressure. After another four-day repair, the plane was used again.
