Black box recovered in Brazil ‘death spiral’ plane crash that left no survivors killing 62 as families call for answers
COPS are investigating its worst aviation disaster since 2007 after a plane dramatically crashed into a garden and left 62 dead.
A state official in Brazil has confirmed they have found the plane’s black box and cops are investigating the cause of the deadly crash.
Shocking footage showed the Voepass aircraft in an uncontrollable “death spiral” towards the ground in Sao Paulo state.
All passengers were left for dead when the Voepass jet plummeted into a gated community after it exploded in a huge fireball.
Terrifying video of Friday’s crash in Sao Paulo shows the plane falling from the sky spinning in circles.
The motion has been labelled as a death spiral due to the fatal consequences it often has.
No residents at the home in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo were harmed but fifteen of the dead were doctors and two were trainee medics.
Flight officials said the jet carried 57 passengers and four crew but later confirmed an extra passenger, bringing the death toll up to 62.
The gated community in Vinhedo was cordoned off as firefighters and military teams tackled the blaze and all bodies were pulled from the rubble.
Voepass has not yet hinted at a cause but flight tracker FlightRadar24 thinks ice could be the culprit.
They said there was an active warning for “severe icing” at an altitude of between 12,000 feet and 21,000 feet.
It also revealed that the jet was flying at 17,000 feet right before it fell.
Ice can freeze and collect on wings and propeller blades, impeding an aircraft’s performance by reducing thrust, decreasing lift and increasing drag.
But Marcelo Moura, director of operations for Voepass, said the icy forecasts were within acceptable levels for the aircraft to fly.
Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Henrique Baldi investigating added that it was too early to determine whether ice caused the shock incident.
He said: “The plane is certified in several countries to fly in severe icing conditions, including in countries unlike ours, where the impact of ice is more significant.”
Captain Ross Aimer told MailOnline the chilling air disaster may have been caused by engine failure, flight control malfunction or due to part of the plane falling off mid-flight.
He added that once a jet begins to plummet into a death spiral it is “very hard to get out of it”.
The most likely reason for the issue may have been a low speed stall, the captain claims.
This occurs when the airflow going over a jet is too slow meaning the plane isn’t able lift up like it is supposed to.
It most commonly occurs when a plane is moving at a slow pace.
The pilot of the fatal flight – 35-year-old Captain Danilo Santos is highly unlikely to have been the cause.
Romano, from Sao Paulo had plenty of experience, logging over 4,500 hours, and working as a pilot for more than a decade.
FlightRadar24 said the jet was a 14-year-old ATR 72-500 turboprop, short-haul regional airliner.
They also found that the last minute showed the plane’s transponder record a vertical speed between 8,000 and 24,000 feet per minute.
This roughly translates to a speed of 273 miles per hour at most.