The plane crashed in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, killing all 61 people on board.
A plane crashed in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, killing all 61 people on board.
Vopas Airlines says the twin-engine turboprop was flying from Cascaville in the southern state of Paraná to Guarulhos Airport in the city of Sao Paulo when it crashed in the town of Vinhedo.
video viral on social network shows a plane descending spiraling as it falls.
The ATR 72-500 was carrying 4 crew members along with 57 passengers. As per local authorities there are no survivors.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his solidarity with the families and friends of the victims.
Sao Paulo state governor Tarcio Gómez de Freitas has declared three days of mourning.
The flight recorders have been recovered, officials said. French-Italian aircraft maker ATR said it would cooperate with the investigation.
The plane fell in a residential area but there was no injury on the ground.
Officials say that there was damage to only one home in a local condominium complex.
The video shows a large area of fire and smoking debris in an area full of houses.
Police and fire services were in action at the scene.
According to Flightradar24 a tracking website, the plane took off from Cascavel at 11:56 local time (14:56 GMT). The last signal was received from the plane about an hour and a half later.
Brazil’s civil aviation agency said the plane, built in 2010, “was in very good operating condition, with correct registration and airworthiness certificates”.
It added that there were four crew members on board at the time of the accident, all licensed and qualified.
The European Cancer Hospital in Cascavel told BBC Brazil that two of its trainee doctors were among the dead passengers.
The moment of the passenger plane crash was witnessed by local residents.
“When I heard the plane crash, I looked out of my window at home and saw the moment when it crashed,” Felipe Magalhas told the Reuters news agency, adding that he The scene “terrified” him.
Another resident, Nathalie Sicari, told CNN Brazil that she was having lunch when she heard a “very loud sound very close”, describing it as a drone sound but “much louder”.
“I was on the balcony and witnessed the plane spinning. Within seconds, I realized that this was not a normal movement for a plane.”
This is Brazil’s worst plane crash since 2007. The plane of TAM Express crashed and caught fire. 199 people died at Sao Paulo’s Congonas Airport,
President Lula paid tribute to the victims at a ceremony where he was speaking.
“I have to bear very bad news and I would like everyone to stand so we can observe a minute’s silence,” he told his audience.
He posted on social media that the news of the accident was “extremely sad.” “My complete solidarity with the families and friends of the victims,” he said.
The nearby town of Valenhos sent 20 emergency personnel to the crash site as part of a joint operation, local officials said.
“Twenty people were mobilized, including three vehicles from the Valenhaus Municipal Civil Guard and one vehicle from the Civil Defense,” Valenhaus City Hall said in a statement.
ATR said in a statement that it had received information about the crash of the ATR 72-500.
“Our first thoughts are with all those affected by this incident,” she said.
“ATR experts are fully engaged to assist both the investigation and the customer.”