The crash of the Voepass ATR 72-500 plane left 62 victims in Vinhedo, in the interior of São Paulo, last Friday (9).
The aircraft left Cascavel, in Paraná, bound for Guarulhos International Airport, in São Paulo. At 1:22 p.m., the plane plummeted and lost more than five kilometers of altitude in two minutes.
Considering the location of the incident reported by the Fire Department, the aircraft was approximately 70 km from its final destination.
Voepass flight 2883 was carrying 58 passengers and four crew members. To date, 35 bodies have been identified by the Central Forensic Medical Institute (IML) in the capital of São Paulo, and 17 have been released to their families.
The Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (Cenipa), linked to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), is conducting the investigation to discover the causes of the crash.
This is the sixth deadliest air accident in Brazilian history.
The aircraft, manufactured in France, had already suffered structural damage in March of this year before the tragedy and was not recording part of the information from the black box. However, the plane is considered “safe and efficient”.
Here’s what we know about the aircraft so far.
Lack of records in the black box
The Voepass ATR 72-500 model aircraft was operating with authorization not to record eight pieces of flight information in the black box.
Permission was given by the National Aviation Agency (Anac), which granted a provisional license so that the aircraft would not record important parameters in the digital flight recorders.
Among them are data on the brakes, hydraulic pressure and the control forces (steering wheel, column and pedals). The lack of data on the control forces on the three axes of the ship could compromise the Cenipa investigation, according to specialist Jorge Leal Medeiros.
Anac’s determination is in force for any ATR 72-500 of the airline until September of this year.
The agency reported that it consults Cenipa in advance to grant exemptions from requirements that have an impact on accident investigations. The authority also states that the exempted parameters do not constitute a detriment to ongoing investigations.
Structural damage in March 2024
The aircraft suffered structural damage during landing on March 11. The ATR was traveling from Recife to Salvador.
According to a report by Cenipa, the incident was caused by a failure in one of the aircraft’s components, which had a low level of hydraulic oil. The problem was caused after a “abnormal contact with the track”.
Cenipa clarified that this “abnormal contact” is related to “sudden landings”, when there is premature contact of the front landing gear wheel, the tail hitting the ground and wingtip touching during landing or takeoff operations.
The incident states that the plane underwent maintenance and continued its journey. The information was confirmed to CNN by the Brazilian Air Force.
“Safe and efficient” aircraft
The Voepass ATR 72-500 aircraft is “safe and efficient,” said former Cenipa investigator Colonel Rufino Ferreira. He highlighted that it is an extremely safe aircraft and has dual systems.
The expert also emphasized that the ATR is a certified aircraft and offers adequate conditions for pilots to deal with various emergency situations.
CNN host William Waack, who is also an amateur pilot, said the plane is a well-established and successful model on the market.
“It’s a winning design, it’s a successful plane. It’s successful because it’s safe, because it’s excellent for this type of travel,” said Waack.
The ATR is widely used in regional aviation and is ideal for medium distances. The journalist highlighted that it is one of the most modern aircraft available compared to models that have been in operation for over 30 years.
Technical sheet
Operator: Passaredo Air Transport SA
Manufacturer: ATR – GIE AVIONS DE TRANSPORT RÉGIONAL
Year of manufacture: 2010
Model: ATR-72-212A (500)
Number of seats: 74
Number of passengers: 68
Length: 27 meters
Wingspan: 27 meters
Height: 7.65 meters
Flight range: 1,324 km
Maximum weight allowed: 7 thousand kg
Accident in Vinhedo (SP) is the 5th worst in history involving ATR 72
Source: CNN Brasil
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