VINHEDO, Brazil — A passenger plane crashed into a gated residential area in São Paulo state on Friday, resulting in the deaths of all 61 people on board, according to officials and the airline. The crash left the aircraft a smoldering wreck.
Deadliest Airline Crash in São Paulo State Claims Lives of All 61 Passengers, Airline Reports
VINHEDO, Brazil (AP) — A passenger plane crashed into a gated residential area in São Paulo state on Friday, resulting in the deaths of all 61 people on board, according to officials and the airline. The crash left the aircraft a smoldering wreck.
No immediate reports of casualties among local residents at the crash site in Vinhedo, located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of São Paulo, were confirmed by officials, although witnesses reported no injuries in the neighborhood.
The airline VOEPASS confirmed that its ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop was en route to São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport with 57 passengers and 4 crew members when it crashed. While the airline provided a flight manifest with passenger names, their nationalities were not disclosed. An earlier statement had mentioned 58 passengers.
VOEPASS expressed deep regret, stating, “The company regrets to inform that all 61 people on board flight 2283 died at the site. We are currently focusing on providing unrestricted support to the victims’ families and working closely with authorities to determine the cause of the accident.”
This incident marks the deadliest airline crash since January 2023, when a Yeti Airlines ATR 72 crashed in Nepal while attempting to land, resulting in 72 fatalities. The final report for that crash attributed the disaster to pilot error.
Firefighters, military police, and civil defense teams from the state were deployed to the scene. São Paulo’s Public Security Secretary, Guilherme Derrite, confirmed to reporters that no survivors were found. He also mentioned that the plane’s black box had been located and appeared to be intact.