VIDEO. “It fell from the sky and exploded”: death of all passengers, fall, tracks… what we know about the plane crash in Brazil

On Friday, August 9, 2024, a plane crashed near São Paulo, Brazil. The crash killed 61 people, including all of the passengers. In the aftermath of the tragedy, more is known about the circumstances of the accident.

A regional transport plane from the Voepass company crashed on Friday near São Paulo, Brazil, killing all 61 people on board.

Plane crash

The plane had taken off from Cascavel, in the state of Parana, and was heading to Guarulhos International Airport, in the state of São Paulo, Voepass said. The plane, a turboprop (propeller-driven aircraft), crashed in the city of Vinhedo, about 80 kilometers northwest of São Paulo.

In a video posted on social media, the plane, an ATR-72, could be seen spiraling down and disappear behind trees before a plume of smoke rose into the air.

Daniel de Lima, a local resident, said he heard a loud noise before he left his house. That's when he saw the plane spiral down. “It was spinning, but not moving,” he told Reuters. “Shortly after, it fell from the sky and exploded”.

Damage in the blast area

Officials from the municipality of Valinhos, near Vinhedo, said a house was damagedafter the plane crashed into the adjoining garden, specifying that no residents were injured.

“I almost think the pilot tried to avoid a nearby neighborhood, which is densely populated,” added Daniel de Lima.

First leads are emerging

Some experts speculate that the incident may have been caused by a ice deposit on the fuselage of the aircraft or engine failure. However, investigators indicated that it was too early to determine the cause of the incident.

“Icing conditions were expected (at the altitude at which the aircraft was flying), but at acceptable levels”,Voepass COO Marcel Moura said at a news conference.

“The plane is sensitive to it. “This could be a first lead,” he said, indicating that the plane's systems, including the de-icing systems, had been inspected and the aircraft had been cleared to fly.