“Her dream was to save lives,” says mother of doctor killed in Voepass plane crash

The mother of physician Arianne Albuquerque Risso, one of the 62 victims of the Voepass plane crash in Vinhedo (SP), expressed her outrage and demanded that authorities inspect the conditions of the company’s aircraft. Fátima Albuquerque is a retired psychologist and businesswoman, and spoke to the press as she left the Instituto Médico Legal in São Paulo, where she identified the body of her daughter, who was among doctors on her way to an oncology conference.

“We already have videos saying that they were putting everyone at risk (with the planes). Didn’t the Public Prosecutor’s Office see this? Didn’t ANAC see this? How many children, how many mothers are going to have to die?” she asked. “We have to transform our pain into indignation,” the mother added.

The report sought the Public Ministries of Paraná and São Paulo, the Federal Public Ministry, Voepass, the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) and the company Latam, to comment on Fátima’s statements, but did not receive a response until the publication of this text.

Since the crash, reports have been circulating about potential problems. Passengers who flew on an ATR-72-500 the day before complained about the heat and said the air conditioning was not working. A pilot for the airline spoke out against overwork at a public hearing in June. The company says the aircraft that crashed was in good condition and complies with all legal requirements regarding pilots’ work hours and rest periods.