Brazilian investigators have recovered both flight recorders from the Voepass ATR 72-500 which crashed in the vicinity of Sao Paulo, with no survivors among the 61 occupants.
Air accident investigation authority CENIPA, part of the Brazilian air force, says it is “already in possession” of the cockpit-voice and flight-data recorders from the aircraft.
“The timeframe for determining the circumstances that caused the crash depends on the degree of destruction of the recorders,” it states.
CENIPA’s chief, air brigadier Marcelo Moreno, said during a briefing that analysis of the recorders’ information would be carried out as quickly as possible.
He says CENIPA will conduct the aeronautical investigation while the Brazilian government has separate responsibility for carrying out a judicial investigation.
“Our investigation is non-punitive, working with the principle of maximum preventive effectiveness,” says Moreno.
“Flight safety is our top priority. The investigation will be conducted with technical rigour, seeking not only to identify the causes of the accident, but also to provide recommendations that can prevent future similar occurrences.”
Voepass flight 2Z2283 came down on 9 August in the Vinhedo region, northwest of Sao Paulo.
It had departed Cascavel at 11:46 bound for Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos airport with 57 passengers and four crew members. Voepass says none of those on board survived.
The aircraft departed “without any flight restrictions” and with all systems “ready to carry out the operation”, the carrier adds.
Originally delivered to Albanian carrier Belle Air in 2010, the aircraft was acquired by Nordic Aviation Capital after the airline’s cessation.
It was subsequently leased to Indonesia’s Pelita Air Service where, as PK-PAV, it became the subject of an accident investigation after a bounced landing in March 2017 that damaged its nose-gear.
Voepass leased the aircraft as PS-VPB last year.
Brazilian civil aviation regulator ANAC says the aircraft had a valid registration and airworthiness certificate, and all four crew members were licensed with valid qualifications.
