Previously Damaged Aircraft Involved in Fatal Brazilian Crash

Newly surfaced details reveal that the aircraft involved in the tragic crash of Voepass Flight 2283 on August 9 had experienced prior incidents, raising concerns about its airworthiness. The aircraft, a 14-year-old ATR72 registered as PS-VPB, had a documented history of mechanical issues before the fatal flight that ended near São Paulo.

On March 11, 2024, operating as Flight 2290 from Recife to Salvador, the ATR72 encountered a “low hydraulic quantity” warning mid-flight. Despite this, the plane completed its journey to Salvador, where it experienced a tail strike upon landing on Runway 10. This incident caused significant damage, grounding the aircraft for over two weeks and necessitating extensive repairs at Voepass’ maintenance facilities in Ribeirão Preto until July 9.

Brazil’s aircraft incident investigation agency, CENIPA, initially categorized the March incident as minor and did not conduct a detailed investigation. However, Brazilian media reports and maintenance logs later suggested serious structural damage from the tail strike, which contributed to the aircraft being out of service for nearly four months.

After returning to service on July 9, the aircraft faced further issues, including a loss of cabin pressure on its first flight post-maintenance, leading to another four-day grounding. When the plane resumed flights on July 13, passengers reported persistent problems with the air conditioning system, noting uncomfortably high temperatures compared to other aircraft in the Voepass fleet.

The aircraft’s troubled history culminated in the catastrophic crash of Flight 2283, which occurred as the plane was nearing São Paulo. Early reports from the ongoing investigation hint at severe icing that may have compromised various control systems, although definitive conclusions have yet to be confirmed.

These revelations about PS-VPB’s past incidents and maintenance challenges are now a critical part of the investigation into the crash of Flight 2283, as authorities work to determine the extent to which the aircraft’s prior conditions contributed to the tragedy.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, aeroxplorer.com