A plane crash in São Paulo, Brazil, killed all 62 people on board on Friday, multiple media outlets have reported. Videos circulating on social media show the aircraft spiralling as it plummeted to earth.
The twin-engine turboprop ATR 72-500 was flying from Cascavel in Paraná State to Guarulhos airport in São Paulo city when it came down in the town of Vinhedo, 78 kilometres north of the state capital. It crashed inside a gated community, leaving an obliterated fuselage consumed by fire. No one on the ground was injured and only one home was damaged.
Rescue efforts ended late on Saturday night, 33 hours after the crash. The remains of 34 males, 28 females and one dog recovered from the wreckage, as well as both black box recorders.
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Investigators from the Brazilian air force said the plane’s pilots did not call for help or report they were operating under adverse weather conditions prior to the crash. The BBC reported that the ATR 72-500 was “in good operating condition, with valid registration and airworthiness certificates” – according to Brazil’s civil aviation agency – and all crew members were duly licensed with valid qualifications.
The Brazilian air force said on Saturday that both of the plane’s flight recorders had been sent to its analysis laboratory in Brasilia. Results of its investigations would likely be released within 30 days. French-Italian plane maker ATR said it would cooperate with the investigation.
In the meantime, families of the dead are gathering in São Paulo to identify their loved ones and collect their remains for burial. At least six bodies have been identified, including the pilot and co-pilot, Danilo Santos Romano and Humberto de Campos Alencar e Silva. The city’s governor, Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas, has called for three days of mourning following the crash.
