Pilot Identified in Brazil Plane Crash as Death Toll Rises to 62

The pilot of the twin-engine turboprop plane that crashed in Brazil on Friday has been identified as 35-year-old Captain Danilo Santos Romano, a seasoned aviator with a decade of experience. He was the first victim named following the tragic crash, as reported by Globo TV News.

 

Romano, who had been with the Voepass airline since 2022, logged over 4,500 flight hours throughout his career, according to his LinkedIn profile. The São Paulo resident was also known for his recent participation in a 15K race and his support for the Palmeiras football club, as seen in photos on his Facebook profile.

 

Romano was at the controls ofthe ATR 72-500 when it went down in a residential neighborhood in Vinhedo,carrying 62 people—58 passengers and four crew members. Tragically, there wereno survivors.

 

Among the other victims were co-pilot Humberto de Campos Alencar e Silva, 61, and flight attendant Débora Soper Avila, 29, as identified by Globo TV News, citing the flight manifest. Several doctors heading to a seminar and a father, Rafael Fernando dos Santos, along with his 3-year-old daughter, Liz Ibba Dos Santos, were also on board.

 

The death toll, initially reported as 61, was updated on Saturday after officials confirmed that a 58th passenger was not listed on the manifest due to a "technical issue," according to Globo TV News. By Saturday morning, 15 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage, with the remains sent to the Legal Medical Institute for formal identification.

 

The plane, bound for São Paulo, took off from Cascavel at 11:56 a.m. local time on Friday and flew for about an hour and a half without incident. Officials reported that the crew did not issue any distress calls or report adverse weather conditions, nor was there evidence that they attempted to contact nearby regional airports, as stated by Ports and Airports Minister Silvio Costa Filho on Friday night.

 

Voepass CEO Eduardo Busch expressed confidence in the crew's competence during a press conference, according to CNN, and emphasized the need to review all communications between the pilot and the control tower to better understand the incident.

 The plane's black box  containing voice recordings & flight data, was recovered &  will be analyzed for potential clues regarding the cause of the crash, confirmed Sao Paulo Public Security Secretary Guilherme Derrite.

The plane descended more than 13000 feet in just 1 minute  a dramatic fall captured in a chilling video that showed the aircraft spiraling toward the ground.

This crash has drawn comparisons to a  1994 incident involving an American Eagle ATR 72-200  which is crashed over Indiana due to ice buildup.

 Marcelo Moura, Voepass's director of operations, noted that while ice was in the forecast for Friday, it was within acceptable levels for the aircraft. Lt. Col. Carlos Henrique Baldi of the Brazilian air force’s air accident investigation center added that the plane is certified to fly in severe icing conditions in several countries, including those where ice poses a greater threat.

 

The plane crashed in the yard of a private home within a condominium community, but no injuries were reported on the ground, according to locals.