Brazil plane crash: All 61 onboard confirmed dead
Brasilia [Brazil]: In a tragic plane crash, all 61 people onboard were killed in Sao Paulo Friday afternoon, CNN reported citing a statement issued by airline Voepass.
All 61 Onboard Confirmed Dead
"The company regrets to inform that all 61 people on board flight 2283 died at the scene," Voepass said in a statement, revising the death toll down from an initial assessment of 62 dead. There were 57 passengers and four crew members on board, the company said.
Dramatic Video Circulates Online
The dramatic video of the plane crash has been circulating online, showing how its wrecked fuselage caught fire.
Passenger Documentation Verified
Although it's unclear if any of the passengers held dual citizenship, airline personnel stated that every passenger had Brazilian documentation.
Flight's Rapid Descent
The ATR 72-500, a twin-engine turboprop plane, descended 17,000 feet in less than a minute, according to flight monitoring data, although the reason for this is yet unknown, CNN reported.
Flight Path and Signal Loss
The flight, was en route to Guarulhos, in Sao Paulo state, from Cascavel in the Brazilian state of Parana. It lost signal shortly after leaving Cascavel before 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 p.m. ET), according to Flightradar24 data.
Final Moments of the Flight
Further, the flight began descending, losing altitude a minute before the crash. The plane was at 17,000 feet until 1:21 p.m. local time when it dropped approximately 250 feet in 10 seconds, the CNN report said. The flight then saw an ascent of approximately 400 feet in about eight seconds. After eight seconds, it lost just under 2,000 feet. Then, in approximately one minute, the flight began rapidly descending - losing roughly 17,000 feet in just one minute, the report added. The last data transmission from the plane was at 1:22 p.m. local time.
Three Days of Mourning Declared
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has declared three days of mourning for the victims. There is no information on what led to the tragic plane crash. An investigation is underway.
(With ANI inputs)
