Twelve passengers and two crew were killed in the accident, Governor Wilson Lima wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Barcelos: In a tragic incident at least 14 people, including passengers and crew, died after an aircraft crashed in Brazil’s Barcelos on Saturday afternoon, CNN Brasil reported. The aircraft, a Bandeirante model, was carrying 12 tourists, a pilot, and a co-pilot. According to a report of Civil Defence, no one survived in the plane crash. The plane crash occurred during the landing approach to a city situated approximately 400 km away from the state capital, Manaus, where it had initially taken off, as reported by CNN Brasil. The incident happened around 3 pm, Brazil time, with adverse weather conditions, including heavy rain, possibly contributing to the accident. According to CNN Brasil, the passengers on board were en route for recreational fishing.
The Center for Research and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa) issued a statement confirming that investigators from the Seventh Regional Service for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Seripa VII) had been dispatched to the crash site. Seripa VII operates under the jurisdiction of Cenipa. The initial phases of the investigation involve specialized techniques to gather and validate data, preserve evidence, assess aircraft damage, and collect vital information for the inquiry process, as reported by CNN Brasil.
The duration of the investigation will be as brief as possible, contingent upon the complexity of each case. Additionally, the investigation aims to identify potential contributing factors to the incident, as stated in the report.
The National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) stated that the aircraft belonged to Manaus Taxi Aereo, and it had been duly certified and authorized to conduct air taxi services. Manaus Aerotáxi, the company operating the aircraft, confirmed that the accident involved a PT-SOG plane, according to CNN Brasil.
In their statement, Manaus Aerotáxi emphasized their commitment to passenger and crew safety, asserting that the aircraft and crew involved in the accident met all civil aviation authority requirements for airworthiness. They also expressed their condolences and sympathy for all those affected by this tragic event.