This is a breaking story, details will change as the story unfolds. An ATR-72 appears to fall from the sky over Brazil.
What We Know Right Now
According to reports from FlightRadar24, a VoePass ATR-72 departed Cascavel for São Paulo, Brazil on Friday, August 9th, 2024 before falling off the radar at 4:22PM UTC. Something went catastrophically wrong and videos (below) show the very end of a tailspin just a few seconds before the aircraft hit the ground outside of Brazil’s largest city.
We are following reports of a crash of a VoePass ATR 72 near São Paulo, Brazil. We are currently processing granular data from this flight. https://t.co/1MwrzhJ0gU pic.twitter.com/ozBx2sL5lZ
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) August 9, 2024
Sources indicate that an active icing warning had been issued for altitutdes between 12,000-24,000 feet, the aircraft appeared to behave abnormally while flying at 17,000 feet. Vertical speed fluctuated between 8,000 and 24,000 feet per minute. The engines were running at the time, though they seemed to have been struggling or reduced to idle.
There were 62 passengers onboard and while unconfirmed, most likely four crew members with two pilots and two flight attendants.
Social Media Videos Show Plane Falling From The Sky
A pair of videos show the dramatic last few seconds of the crash as it twirls upright in what’s known as a “flat spin” to the ground.
View this post on Instagram
Another video from another angle shows the same flat spin but doesn’t provide much more time on the footage to observe.
BREAKING: Voepass Flight 2283, a large passenger plane, crashes in Vinhedo, Brazil. There we 60 people onboard pic.twitter.com/a6sRJ9ptMv
— Adjusted55 (@BillPrinter00) August 9, 2024
Preliminary Explanations
While I’m not a pilot, (we will reach out to Pilot121 who contributes to this site) it’s pretty apparent to me this is caused by a flat spin in which not enough airflow is going under the wings to create lift. It appears to me that there is a control issue that’s not allowing the pilots to point the nose down which could have been part of the icing notice at altitude.
Unfortunately, both of these videos won’t tell as much as the data from the transponder. The technical notes that FlightRadar24 was able to display suggest a dramatic fall from altitude at a high speed. If ice had formed over the wings, it’s possible that the pilots lacked some control instruments to alter the aircraft’s course. It’s also possible that the pilot’s failed to recover from a high altitude stall rendering their responses inadequate.
We will learn more in the days, months, and years ahead, but for now, we can only pray for survivors and the families for those who may have perished.
Unfortunately no survivors. Brazilian media shared a crazy story on how 10 passengers missed this flight because they apparently went to the wrong gate and when they realized the mistake they ran to the correct gate to see the door closed. The agent didn’t budge to them asking him to open the door and let them in. Sometimes things happen in life for a reason.
They were ticketed through LATAM as the two codeshare on this route so they were looking for a LATAM flight, only to realize their mistake too late. Crazy how this stuff unfolds
Did you copy and paste this comment in the comments section of other blogs? You must want people to know about everything happening for a reason…
Prayers for the lost souls and their families.
Think you’ve got a Dash 8-300 in the picture there, not an ATR.
I can’t help but recall the Roseland, IN crash of an ATR back in the 90s that was caused by a loss of control due to icing (behind the boots, IIRC). While we obviously don’t know much yet, that flat spin certainly provides a lot of tantalizing clues. My prayers go out to the people who were onboard that flight today and to their loved ones.
And there were a couple of ATR crashes in Italy for the same reason. I translated the court proceedings related to those flights during the Am Eagle crash investigations.
I would bet a stall from icing…so sad.
I would agree. This would make at least the 4th ATR72 that crashed due to icing, assuming that is found to be the issue. it’s wintertime in Brazil and weather in the area and AtR flying at prime icing altitude.
My guess is that it is like the ATR72 American Eagle Roselawn, Indiana crash but it could be suicide, like Egyptair JFK-CAI.
The plane is partially intact which means they might have not quite recovered. It is not little pieces like the American Eagle crash.
Suicide? Nope. Pilot was 35 yo and used to share his passion for being a pilot. He was always smiling and super passionate. Initial investigations are pointing to ice on the wings which other pilot on the route today reported to the airport it happened to his plane including a picture of his side window completely covered in ice in the exact same route.
Sometimes waiting for more information is the best way. The ATR72. Yeti crash in Nepal last year was very different yet initially was the subject of many theories, and kind of still is. At least it finally resulted in changes in aviation investigation there. Prayers.
Updated to 61 total, 57 passengers and 4 crew.
Horrific situation, RIP