On August 9, 2024, an ATR 72-500 operated by Voepass Linhas Aéreas crashed near Vinhedo, killing all 62 people on board. The aircraft had departed from Cascavel and was en route to São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport when it suddenly lost altitude, entered a flat spin, and crashed into a residential neighborhood. Dramatic videos captured the aircraft descending almost vertically before impact, drawing worldwide attention to one of Brazil’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent years.

In the hours after the crash, confusion arose when Voepass initially announced that 61 people were on board—57 passengers and 4 crew members. The airline later corrected the figure to 62, explaining that one passenger had been mistakenly omitted from the initial manifest released to the public. Authorities clarified that this individual had legally boarded the flight and that there was no evidence of an unauthorized or mysterious passenger. The discrepancy was the result of an administrative error in the publicly released passenger list, not a security breach or a stowaway.

Among those who lost their lives were people from many walks of life, including a 3-year-old girl traveling with her father, medical professionals, university professors, and families returning from trips. The tragedy deeply affected communities across Brazil and prompted an outpouring of national mourning.

Investigators from Brazilian Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center recovered both flight recorders and launched a detailed investigation. Early discussion among aviation experts considered whether airframe icing might have contributed to the accident, as weather conditions at the aircraft’s cruising altitude were conducive to ice formation. However, investigators emphasized that it would be premature to draw conclusions before analyzing the flight data, cockpit voice recordings, aircraft systems, maintenance records, and meteorological information.