NewsBrazilian plane crash: Co-pilot's chilling last words revealed

Brazilian plane crash: Co‑pilot's chilling last words revealed

The first officer Humberto de Campos Alencar e Silva asked just before the crash, "What's happening?"
The first officer Humberto de Campos Alencar e Silva asked just before the crash, "What's happening?"
Images source: © Licensor

9:06 PM EDT, August 15, 2024

"What's happening?!" asked co-pilot Humberto de Campos Alencar e Silva moments before the Brazilian passenger plane crash. These were possibly his last words just before the crash that killed 62 people. Currently, investigators are analyzing recordings from the black box.

On Friday, August 9, Brazil was plunged into despair after a plane crash near the São Paulo metropolitan area. Fifty-eight passengers and four crew members died, marking the largest aviation disaster in Brazilian airline history.

Investigators are examining the circumstances of the accident, with the black box recordings expected to provide insights. As revealed on Wednesday by the Brazilian television station Globo, the analyzed fragments indicate that the pilots observed a significant power drop just before the tragedy.

Moments later in the recording, you can hear the words of the co-pilot Humberto de Campos Alencar e Silva, who asked, "What's happening?!" This is followed by terrifying screams and then a loud bang.

Voepass disaster in Brazil

Laboratory experts from the Center for Research and Prevention of Air Accidents' work analyzing the recordings is hampered by the construction of the aircraft. This aircraft type has engines very close to the pilot's cockpit, drowning out the pilots' conversations.

However, specialists do not indicate that the first listen could point to any serious technical problems noted by the pilots. Perhaps the initial hypotheses will be confirmed, suggesting that the cause of the crash was the formation of ice on the airplane's wings.

Although almost a week has passed since the disaster, Globo reports that the identification of the victims is still ongoing. Currently, 30 bodies have been handed over to families and will be buried in the coming days. Some victims' families are announcing legal battles with Voepass Airlines, as passengers had indicated before the flight that the plane was very old.

See also