A passenger plane crashed on Friday afternoon in the broader area of São Paulo in Brazil, according to Brazil’s Civil Defense agency.
There are not many details about this tragic incident available to the public. Nonetheless, the plane crashed near an area called Vinhedo, which is near the populous city of São Paulo.
Local officials from the Brazilian authorities announced that 62 people were on board the plane that crashed in Brazil. Of these, 58 individuals were passengers, and four more were crew members.
Officials confirmed later on Friday that there are no survivors. Fortunately, nobody was injured on the ground.
The plane reportedly belongs to Voepass Linhas Aéreas, a local airline based in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. The particular flight was believed to be heading from Cascavel to São Paulo.
Unverified footage that has been circulating on social media platforms, including X (formerly known as Twitter), shortly shows the plane spiraling above a residential area before it tragically crashes on the ground.
Not the first plane crash in Brazil
Today’s tragic incident is not the first in the history of this South American country. On July 17, 2007, TAM Airlines Flight 3054, an Airbus A320, crashed while attempting to land at the Congonhas airport, also in the city of São Paulo.
A staggering 187 passengers and crew on board died during that crash which shook Brazil and the entire world. Additionally, a further 12 people lost their lives on the ground.
The tragic incident occurred when the aircraft overran the runway during inclement weather. The area was experiencing heavy rain and thick fog, making visibility particularly poor. This caused the plane to crash into a nearby TAM Express warehouse and gas station.
Who is VOEPASS Linhas Aéreas?
VOEPASS Linhas Aéreas is a regional airline that is based in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil and was the operator of the plane that crashed today in Brazil.
The airliner was established in 1995 by a local bus company bearing the same name. At the time, the airliner was known as Passaredo Linhas Aéreas.
VOEPASS normally operates domestic passenger as well as cargo flights in the broader São Paulo area of Brazil. The company focuses on connecting underserved regions and smaller towns of this vast nation.
The airline rebranded from Passaredo to VOEPASS in 2019 and currently operates a large fleet of aircraft. According to the latest information available, VOEPASS carried a total of 737,928 passengers and held a tiny, 0.3 percent share of Brazil’s domestic market for 2023.
