Air Tragedy: Teams complete removal of the bodies of the 62 Victims, 29 hours after the plane crash in the interior of SP
Civil Defense reported that 34 male and 28 female bodies were found. This disaster is the most serious since the TAM plane crash in 2007.
As teams remove all bodies from the rubble in Vinhedos (SP) - Photo Reproduction / Internet
In an effort that lasted almost 29 hours, rescue teams completed the removal of the bodies of the 62 fatal victims of the plane crash that occurred in the early afternoon of Friday (09), in a residential area in the municipality of Vinhedo, in the interior of São Paulo. . The State Civil Defense confirmed that the work was completed at 6:30 pm this Saturday (10). According to Civil Defense, 34 male and 28 female bodies were found.
All were sent to the central unit of the Legal Medical Institute (IML) in São Paulo for identification and subsequent release to their families. According to the agency's statement, the unit maintains continuous and exclusive care for the victims of the plane crash. So far, 50 bodies have been sent to IML Central, and the rest are on their way there.
Victim Identification Process
According to Civil Defense, by 6:30 pm this Saturday, two bodies had been identified. In total, 30 bodies were subjected to necropsy and radiography. The IML Central is operating with around 20 doctors, as well as forensic dentistry, anthropology and radiology teams, to receive and identify the bodies. According to the agency, other incidents that should be handled on site are being directed to IML units in the east and west zones, which will operate 24 hours a day. The IML in the northern zone will also provide support during the day for medical clinic cases.
Civil Defense reported that the victims' families were accommodated in a hotel in the central region of São Paulo. As of 6:30 pm, thirty-eight families had been received and are being cared for by the state government on site. The Department of Social Development is monitoring the services. After accommodation in hotels, where they are also receiving psychological support, the family members will be sent to the Oscar Freire Institute. There, they will be welcomed by State Civil Defense teams. In addition to psychological support, family members will receive guidance on medical documents that can help identify bodies and on collecting biological materials for genetic tests, if necessary.
Investigation in Progress
Black box from the aircraft that crashed in Vinhedo (SP) - Photo Reproduction / Disclosure / FAB
The Center for Research and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa) of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) released images of the opening of the plane's two black boxes. As informed by the agency, the two flight recorders – the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), which records conversations in the cabin, and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), which collects flight data – were transferred to the Reading and Analysis Laboratory of Flight Recorder Data (Labdata) of the organization, in Brasília (DF), this Saturday morning (10).
Cenipa also clarified that the preliminary work of preparing, extracting and analyzing the data has already been started by the researchers and will continue without interruption in the coming hours. After completing the initial stage in Vinhedo, the investigation will move to the data analysis phase. At this stage, flight activities, the operational environment and human factors will be reviewed, in addition to carrying out a study on components, equipment, systems and infrastructure. Cenipa confirmed its intention to publish the preliminary report on the aircraft accident within approximately 30 days.
Black Boxes
Black boxes are essential for investigating the causes of plane crashes as they contain recorders that, if found intact, provide crucial information. In the case of a plane, like the ATR-72 that suffered the accident, there are two black boxes. The first is the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), which records audio of conversations between the pilot and co-pilot, communications with flight attendants and air traffic control. The second is the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), which records information and technical parameters of the aircraft, such as altitude, speed, position of the throttles and buttons pressed, providing detailed data on the aircraft's performance during the flight.
With information from the aircraft and cabin audio, investigators are able to analyze the dynamics of the flight and identify the factors that possibly contributed to the plane crash. According to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), the Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (Cenipa) is an international reference in investigations of this type, but you can request assistance from the manufacturer if you face difficulties in extracting data and audio.
The brigadier responsible for the agency clarified that, although the FAB has the technical capacity to obtain this data, the severity of the event exposed the recorder to such a high temperature that the internal components were damaged, making extraction impossible. In situations like this, FAB has partnership agreements with investigative agencies in France, Canada and the United States to help with data recovery.
