Aircraft Crash in Brazil Ends with 61 Fatalities

ABC News reports Voepass Flight 2257 has crashed near Sao Paulo, after departing from Cascavel for what was supposed to be a short flight.

14-Year-Old ATR-72 Plummeted 44 Miles from Destination

According to data from FlightRadar24, the flight was traveling from Dr. Leite Lopes State Airport (RAO) in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil to Sao Paulo–Congonhas Airport (CGH). The flight was last tracked flying at an altitude of 10,800 feet before suddenly plummeting to the ground. The aircraft was a 14-year-old ATR 72-600. Planespotters.net says the airframe was fist operated by LIAT out of Antigua and Barbuda before changing hands to a private aviation firm, and ultimately being operated by Voepass.

Eyewitnesses report seeing the aircraft descending in a spiral pattern, before crashing into the ground in a fireball. Photos from the scene show a debris field near a residential building. One person in the residence was injured in the aftermath of the crash.

The airline confirmed that 61 souls were killed aboard the flight, consisting of 57 passengers and four flight crew members. One person who was ticketed was not onboard the flight.

Both Brazil’s aviation authority and ATR are actively investigating the situation.

This is a breaking news story. Additional information will be provided when it becomes available.