On Friday afternoon, a passenger plane carrying 62 people crashed outside São Paulo, resulting in the deaths of all on board. The aircraft, an ATR 72-500, was en route from Cascavel to Guarulhos when it lost contact shortly before 1:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. ET). Dramatic social media footage captured the plane’s descent and the ensuing fire at the crash site.
Regional airline Voepass initially reported 61 fatalities but later confirmed 62 after verifying the passenger list. The victim count includes a Portuguese citizen, as noted by Portugal’s foreign ministry, though it is unclear if any had dual citizenship.
Flight tracking data reveals the plane descended rapidly, losing 17,000 feet in just one minute before crashing. The last transmission from the plane occurred at 1:22 p.m. Luiz Augusto De Oliveira, whose property was struck by the plane, recounted that he and his family were unharmed and initially mistook the noise for a malfunctioning helicopter.
Voepass CEO Eduardo Busch stated that the cause of the crash is unknown and the airline is awaiting access to communications between the pilot and air traffic control. The plane’s two black boxes have been recovered for analysis.
Authorities have retrieved 24 bodies, with the pilot and co-pilot preliminarily identified. Sao Paulo fire brigade spokesperson Maycon Cristo reported that all victims were seated and no bodies were ejected due to the plane’s impact. The recovery process is ongoing, with efforts focused on the most damaged areas.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared three days of mourning and called for a minute of silence. An investigation led by Brazil’s aviation accidents agency CENIPA is underway, with initial reports indicating no prior emergency communication from the crew. The Voepass aircraft, purchased in September 2022, was previously denied operation for air taxi, though the reasons remain unclear. ATR, the plane’s manufacturer, is assisting with the investigation.
