Brazil Declares Three-Day Mourning After Plane Crash Kills 61 in São Paulo
Brazil has declared three days of national mourning following a tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of 61 people in São Paulo state on Friday.
The ill-fated aircraft, an ATR 72-500 operated by Voepass airline, was en route from Cascavel in Paraná state to São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport when it crashed in the city of Vinhedo, killing all 57 passengers and four crew members on board.
The crash occurred around 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of São Paulo, in a residential area of Vinhedo, a city of approximately 76,000 residents.
Images broadcast on local media captured the horrific moments as the aircraft spun uncontrollably before plummeting almost vertically to the ground. A large column of smoke was seen rising from the crash site, sending shockwaves through the community.
“There were no survivors,” confirmed the city government of Valinhos, which assisted in the rescue and recovery operations in nearby Vinhedo. Recovery of the victims’ remains has begun and is expected to continue throughout the night, according to São Paulo State Governor Tarcisio de Freitas, who was present at the scene.
In response to the tragedy, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared three days of mourning across the country, expressing his condolences to the families of the victims.
Voepass, in a statement, said it is cooperating fully with authorities to determine the cause of the accident and is providing full assistance to the families of those who were on Flight 2283. The airline initially reported 58 passengers on board but later revised the number to 57.
The plane, a twin-engine turboprop, had taken off “without any flight restrictions, with all its systems operational,” according to the airline. Brazil’s aviation accident agency, CENIPA, has launched an investigation into the crash, and ATR, the aircraft’s manufacturer, has dispatched experts to assist with the investigation.
Eyewitness accounts described the crash as “terrifying.” Nathalie Cicari, who lives near the crash site, recounted the moments leading up to the impact: “I was having lunch when I heard a very loud noise very close by. I went out on the balcony and saw the plane spinning. Within seconds, I realized that it was not a normal movement for a plane.”
Truck driver Martins Barbosa, whose home is just 150 meters (500 feet) from the crash site, feared the worst when he learned of the incident. “I thought it might have fallen on my house, with my son inside,” he said, relieved to find his family unharmed.
Another witness, Ricardo Rodrigues, described the scene as he arrived at the crash site: “I saw many bodies on the ground — many of them,” he told local Band News.
Emergency services, including firefighters, military police, and state civil defense, were swiftly deployed to the scene. Fortunately, the crash did not result in any casualties on the ground, and the fire sparked by the crash was quickly brought under control.
Authorities have confirmed that the plane’s black box has been recovered and appears to be intact. The aircraft involved in the crash had its first flight in April 2010, according to aviation tracking website planespotters.net.
While air safety has significantly improved worldwide, incidents like this serve as a stark reminder of the potential dangers. So far this year, Brazil has recorded 108 aircraft accidents, resulting in 49 deaths, according to CENIPA data.
The tragedy in São Paulo is one of the deadliest air disasters in Brazil in recent years, drawing comparisons to similar accidents worldwide, including the crash of another ATR 72 in Nepal in January 2023, which killed all 72 on board due to pilot error.
