September 7, 2024 9:18 PM
Brazil crash: Brazil investigates ice buildup after plane crash that killed 62
By Ricardo Brito, Luciana Magalhães and Luana Maria Benedito
BRASILIA/SAO PAULO – A preliminary report into the August passenger plane crash in Brazil found signs of ice buildup inside the plane but did not provide a clear cause for the accident, Brazil’s Center for Research and Prevention of Air Accidents said Friday.
The document noted that icing detection equipment had been activated on the plane, owned by airline Vorpus, and a Cenipa official told a news conference that cockpit recordings showed the co-pilot saying there had been “a lot of icing” during the flight.
Investigators said the statement suggested the plane’s de-icing system may have malfunctioned, but Senipa said that information still needed to be confirmed.
Three experts interviewed by Reuters suggested icing may have played a role in the crash but urged caution as the report was preliminary and accidents can be caused by multiple factors.
On August 9, an ATR-72 operated by local airline Vorpus lost control and crashed to the ground, killing all 62 passengers and crew.
Senipa said the investigation into the crash will likely last more than a year.
“Everything you read in today’s report is about icing, but accidents are rarely caused by a single event,” said Anthony Brickhouse, a US aviation safety expert.
Officials said slowdown warnings were issued but the ATR crew did not declare an emergency before the plane hit the ground.
A CENIPA official said on Friday it remained unclear why the plane, which had all the necessary certifications, lost control and crashed. “What we know is that the aircraft was flying in an area with severe icing conditions,” Lt. Col. Paulo Froese said.
The company said in a statement that the report confirmed the aircraft and pilot were properly certified, and added that ATR’s required systems were operational. The company added that it would continue to cooperate with the investigation.
This article has been generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
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