Voepass ATR‑72 crash in Vinhedo kills 62, final report blames de‑icing failures and safety culture

Brazil’s air accident investigation agency Cenipa released the final report on the 9 August 2024 crash of Voepass Flight 2283, an ATR‑72‑500 (registration PS‑VPB) that fell in Vinhedo, São Paulo, killing all 62 people on board (58 passengers and four crew). The investigation identified 19 contributing factors and concluded that the aircraft should not have taken off because the de‑icing (air‑frame ice‑protection) system was inoperable and the windshield‑wiper was faulty, conditions that, under forecast rain, prohibit dispatch.

The report highlighted a “culture of normalising deviations” within Voepass and its predecessor Passaredo. Pilots repeatedly failed to record system alerts in the technical log, ignored multiple ice‑detector warnings and switched the de‑icing system on and off during flight. Maintenance records showed recurring defects, component swaps between aircraft, and insufficient supervision. Cenipa also criticised the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) for not converting known irregularities into decisive risk‑management actions.

Investigators recommended that Anac overhaul its surveillance and risk‑assessment procedures and that EASA work with ATR on revised “degraded‑performance” guidelines. The findings aim to prevent a repeat of the tragedy and improve Brazil’s aviation safety framework.