Authorities investigating last week’s plane crash in Brazil, which claimed the lives of all 62 people on board, have obtained the full transcript from the aircraft's "black box." However, the transcript does not immediately clarify the cause of the accident, as reported by local TV station Globo on Wednesday.
According to Globo’s main news program, *Jornal Nacional*, the transcript from the cockpit voice recorder reveals that the pilot and copilot noticed a sharp loss of altitude approximately one minute before the crash. The station, citing unnamed sources involved in the investigation, mentioned that the transcript spans about two hours of audio. It includes an exchange where the copilot questions the pilot about the situation, noting that the plane needed "more power" to regain stability. However, the actual audio and transcript have not been publicly released.
The aircraft, an ATR-72 turboprop operated by local airline Voepass, was en route from Cascavel in the southern state of Paraná to São Paulo when it crashed around 1:30 p.m. local time (1630 GMT) in the town of Vinhedo, about 80 km (50 miles) northwest of São Paulo. All passengers and crew on board were killed, but no injuries were reported on the ground.
Video footage shared on social media shortly after the crash showed the ATR-72 spinning out of control and descending rapidly behind a group of trees near some houses, followed by a large plume of black smoke.
The Brazilian air force, in a statement on Friday, noted that the pilots had not reported any emergency or adverse weather conditions before the crash. According to Globo, investigators have indicated that the audio alone is insufficient to determine the cause of the crash at this time. No distinct sounds, such as those from a fire, electrical failure, or engine malfunction, were identified, although the audio was reportedly challenging to interpret.
Authorities have neither confirmed nor ruled out the possibility of ice accumulation on the plane's wings, a theory suggested by some aviation experts after analyzing crash videos.
Brazil's aviation accident investigation center, Cenipa, was unavailable for comment on the Globo report outside of regular business hours.