In a press conference held on Thursday (15), the Superintendent of the Technical-Scientific Police of the State of São Paulo, Claudinei Salomão, offered new information about the tragic air accident with the Voepass plane that resulted in the death of 62 people. The position of the victims’ bodies suggests that there was a warning of an imminent fall from the cockpit before impact.
According to Salomão, the position in which the bodies were found – with their heads lowered and the passengers hugging their legs – indicates that the passengers were probably instructed by the cockpit to adopt the “brace” position. This position is recommended to reduce impacts in an emergency situation, when passengers place their head between their knees and hug their legs to protect themselves during a possible hard landing.
“This position in which most of the bodies were found greatly favored the forensic work. The hands were intact, which allowed the papilloscopic identification to be carried out, recognizing the victims through fingerprints,” said Salomão. The identification of the victims was finalized on Wednesday (14).
Salomão suggested that the cockpit, composed of co-pilot Humberto de Campos Alencar e Silva and pilot Danilo Santos Romano, must have alerted passengers about the imminent crash of the aircraft. This alert would have given passengers a chance to adopt the safety stance.
The Scientific Police of the State of São Paulo also assured that it is highly likely that the victims did not suffer for a long time.
“A fall of four thousand meters in less than two minutes causes such severe movements in the human body that they lead to fainting. The death occurred in the crash, due to the numerous traumas suffered. The tendency is that everyone was already fainting before the impact,” explained the superintendent.
The preliminary report of the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa) should confirm these hypotheses, offering more clarity about the events that preceded the accident.
The investigation continues to analyze all aspects of what happened to accurately determine the causes and circumstances that led to the tragic accident.
