Local TV station Globo reports that authorities investigating the recent Brazilian plane crash, which claimed the lives of all 62 passengers and crew members, have acquired the complete transcript of the flight’s “black box” recording.
However, Reuters reports that the transcript’s contents do not immediately reveal the cause of the accident.
Sources close to the investigation told Globo that the cockpit voice recorder transcript indicates the pilot and copilot noticed a sudden and significant loss of altitude approximately one minute before the crash.
The audio and transcript have not been released to the public.
According to TV Globo, the cockpit voice recorder transcript spans approximately two hours of audio, capturing a critical exchange between the pilot and copilot.
The copilot is heard asking the pilot what’s happening and expressing concern that the plane requires “more power” to stabilise.
In response to TV Globo’s report, Brazil’s aviation accident investigation centre, Cenipa, issued a statement late Wednesday assuring that no media outlet has access to the voice recorder’s audio, transcript, or data.
Cenipa declined to comment on the specifics of the report.
The ill-fated flight, operated by Voepass on an ATR-72 turboprop, was en route from Cascavel to Sao Paulo when it crashed in Vinhedo, 80 km northwest of Sao Paulo, at 1:30 p.m. local time. Tragically, all 62 on board perished, while no one on the ground was injured.
Disturbing video footage shared on social media captured the harrowing moment the ATR-72 aircraft spiralled out of control, crashing behind a row of trees near residential homes and sending a massive plume of black smoke into the air.
Notably, the pilots did not declare an emergency or report adverse weather conditions, according to the Brazilian air force’s statement on Friday.
Investigators privy to the crash probe told TV Globo that analysing the audio recording alone may not be sufficient to determine the cause of the accident, suggesting a more comprehensive investigation is needed.
Authorities have neither ruled out nor confirmed the possibility of wing icing as a contributing factor to the crash, according to TV Globo.
However, analysis of crash videos by aviation experts has sparked speculation that ice accumulation on the plane’s wing may have played a role in the accident. The icing issue remains a topic of investigation, with no definitive conclusion drawn yet.
