A plane has crashed in São Paulo, Brazil, resulting in the deaths of all 61 people onboard. The twin-engine turboprop, en route from Cascavel in Paraná to Guarulhos airport in São Paulo city, went down in Vinhedo, according to Voepass airline. Social media footage shows the plane descending in a vertical spiral.
The ATR 72-500, carrying 57 passengers and four crew members, had no survivors. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has expressed condolences to the victims’ families, and São Paulo Governor Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas has announced three days of mourning. Flight recorders have been recovered, and ATR, the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer, has pledged to assist with the investigation.
The aircraft crashed in a residential area, but no one on the ground was hurt. Only one home in a nearby condominium was damaged. Video footage revealed a large fire and smoking debris in the area.
The plane departed Cascavel at 11:56 local time (14:56 GMT), with the last signal received about an hour and a half later. Brazil’s civil aviation agency confirmed the plane, built in 2010, was in good condition with valid certifications, and the crew members were fully licensed.
Two trainee doctors from Uopeccan Cancer Hospital in Cascavel were among the passengers. Local residents witnessed the crash, with one describing the event as terrifying and another noting the unusual plane movement.
This crash is Brazil’s deadliest since 2007, when a TAM Express flight crashed at São Paulo’s Congonhas airport, killing 199 people. President Lula addressed the tragedy at an event, calling for a minute of silence and expressing his sorrow on social media. Valinhos sent 20 emergency personnel to assist, and ATR has stated its specialists are fully engaged in supporting the investigation and their customer.
