Brazil plane crash kills 61

Ava Cai

August 9, 2024

Globo, Brazil’s biggest television network, interrupted its Olympics streaming to feature firefighters spraying water onto a fallen plane. Earlier this Friday afternoon, a plane flying under the company VoePass was nearing the end of its journey to São Paulo, Brazil, when it encountered a serious malfunction. The passenger plane was filmed falling from the sky over the city of Vinhedo in Brazil, which later resulted in the death of all 61 people aboard. VoePass confirms that the reason behind the crash is still unknown, given the fact that all systems were operating correctly before the plane took off and that the pilot did not signal any troubles before or during the accident. In addition, this plane, an ATR 72, was built in 2010 and follows all Brazilian regulations. Thus, it was hard to believe that anything could have gone wrong with the plane.

The plane crashed in a grassy area that was dangerously close to two residential buildings, though luckily, none of the residents were injured. The people living close by to the crash reported that the crash woke them up and they ran immediately in fear of an explosion. 

It’s been noticed that around the area where the plane lost its flight, there was a warning for severe icing. Although most aircraft have built-in systems to prevent the formation of ice, ice formation will cause a plane to become significantly heavier, which will reduce its ability to stay steady in the air. Historically, icy conditions have claimed a few other ATR 72 aircraft, although those incidents were of the aircraft of older generations. For example, in 1994, an ATR 72 plane crashed in Indiana, pushing the company to build more ice-removing systems for its aircraft. 

Although ice formation is a very possible cause, experts push to not draw early conclusions, as many factors play into incidents like these. They claim that usually, a chain of events has to occur as opposed to only a sole cause for failure. 

Back in Cascavel, some individuals were coping with relief of their own. Adriano Assis was late to his gate and thus prevented from boarding Flight 2283. He begged and pleaded to be let on, but the attendants could not allow him to board the plane at the late time. Upon learning that the plane had crashed, he thanked God for not letting him on the plane. 

During an event on Friday, President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva asked for a moment of silence for the victims aboard Flight 2283, pledging to care for the families who are grieving.