An ATR-72-500 has crashed in Vinhedo, São Paulo, Brazil this Friday.
The plane ATR-78 (registration PS-VPB) belonged to Voepass and was operating flight 2Z-2283 from Cascavel to Guarulhos.
The aircraft was seen spinning our of control with 62 people on board and crashed near homes.
The Military Police informed EPTV that they received a call at 1:28 p.m. on João Edueta Street, near the Miguel Melhado de Campos highway (SP-324), and sent teams to the scene.
The aircraft, powered by Pratt & Whitney PW127F Turboprop engines, fell at 9020 ft/min.
According to the City of Vinhedo, the plane crashed in the Recanto Florido residential complex. Both wings and aft section were consumed by the fire. The main cabin area was destroyed by impact forces and the fire. The cockpit section remained free of fire damage, sustaining extensive upward crush damage. The impact is consistent with a flat spin with little to no forward speed.
The ATR-72-500 was 14 years old, delivered in 2010 to Belle Air Europe.
UPDATE
The plane was carrying 58 passengers and four crew.
UPDATE
The 62 people on board have been killed, Brazilian authorities say.
Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, paid tribute to the victims at an event he was speaking at. “I have to be the bearer of very bad news and I would like everyone to stand up so that we can have a minute of silence,” he told his audience.
UPDATE
Both the flight data and cockpit voice recorder were recovered.
At the time of the accident, a SIGMET was in effect with severe icing between FL120 and FL210.
