Brazilian authorities completed the recovery of the bodies of all 62 victims from the tragic plane crash on Saturday, as experts began examining the aircraft’s black boxes to uncover the cause of the disaster.
The ATR 72-500 plane, operated by airline Voepass, was captured on video spiraling downward before crashing into a residential area in Vinhedo, a town located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo.
The plane, which was en route from Cascavel in Parana state to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos international airport, fell almost vertically, landed on its belly, and exploded upon impact, resulting in extensive damage described as nearly “flattened,” according to Sao Paulo fire lieutenant Olivia Perroni Cazo.
Authorities reported that all 62 bodies—34 male and 28 female—were recovered and transported to a morgue in Sao Paulo for identification. Two victims, the pilot and co-pilot, have already been identified through fingerprints, Vinhedo Mayor Dario Pacheco confirmed.
Investigators from Brazil’s Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) have retrieved and are now analyzing the plane’s two black boxes, which contain critical in-flight data and cabin conversations. Marcelo Moreno, the center’s chief, stated that a preliminary report is expected to be released within 30 days.
Flight data from the Flight Radar 24 website indicates that the plane had flown for about an hour at an altitude of 17,000 feet (5,180 meters) before it began losing altitude rapidly at 1:21 pm (1621 GMT). Radar contact was lost just one minute later at 1:22 pm. The Brazilian Air Force reported that the crew did not declare an emergency and were not facing adverse weather conditions at the time of the crash.
