In August 2024, Voepass Flight 2283 took off from Cascavel, Brazil, bound for São Paulo — but the short trip turned into a national tragedy. The ATR 72-500 crashed near Vinhedo, killing all 62 people on board in Brazil’s deadliest aviation disaster in nearly two decades.

The plane was flown by experienced pilots, Captain Danilo Santos Romano, 35, and First Officer Humberto Alencar e Silva, 61, both with over 5,000 flight hours. Weather conditions were severe, with “turbulence, thunderstorms, and severe icing” reported along the route. Minutes after takeoff, the de-icing system failed, and the “Electronic Ice Detector began alerting repeatedly.”

For nearly an hour, the aircraft battled freezing conditions. As it neared São Paulo, warnings intensified, and the plane lost speed. The co-pilot’s final words captured on the black box were, “What is going on?” before the aircraft entered a fatal spin and crashed, bursting into flames.

Among the victims were doctors, professors, and two children. At least ten passengers survived only because they missed the flight.

Investigators found no mechanical failure but pointed to ice buildup and de-icing system mismanagement. In March 2025, Brazil’s aviation agency suspended Voepass’s license, citing safety violations. Later, an anonymous former employee claimed a known de-icing fault had been ignored before the crash.