Brazilian Authorities Charge 16 in Deadly Voepass Plane Crash

WHO:

ABC News - Brazil’s federal police have formally accused 16 current and former employees of airline Voepass.

ABC News - Voepass owner and president José Luiz Felicio Filho is among those formally accused.

ABC News - Thalles Andrade is a lawyer for the families of the victims.

WHAT:

ABC News - The 2024 plane crash killed all 62 people on board.

ABC News - Investigators named several acts of alleged malpractice, omission, and negligence by Voepass.

ABC News - The federal police accused 15 Voepass former and present employees of endangering air traffic safety, which could result in prison sentences of up to 12 years.

ABC News - Additional charges include the omission of technical failures from aircraft logbooks.

ABC News - The aircraft plummeted 13,000 feet into the backyard of a gated condominium.

WHERE:

ABC News - The crash occurred in the city of Vinhedo, outside Sao Paulo.

ABC News - The flight was en route from Cascavel, in the southern state of Paraná, to Guarulhos international airport.

WHEN:

ABC News - The crash took place on August 9, 2024.

ABC News - The federal police findings were announced after a two-year investigation.

WHY:

ABC News - Investigators concluded that deliberate omissions, improper maintenance practices, and organizational failures contributed to the crash.

ABC News - The aircraft was irregularly cleared for departure into known severe icing conditions despite prior failures.

HOW:

ABC News - The aircraft’s data recorders showed its de-icing system repeatedly failed or was manually cycled on and off during 136 flights.

ABC News - A Brazilian air force probe confirmed that severe icing conditions, mechanical system failures, and pilot distractions contributed to the crash.

(UPDATED August 7, 2026 05:37 UTC)

Brazil’s federal police have formally accused 16 current and former employees of the airline Voepass, including owner and president José Luiz Felicio Filho, following a tragic plane crash that killed all 62 people on board. Investigators have identified several acts of alleged malpractice and negligence, with charges that could lead to prison sentences of up to 12 years for endangering air traffic safety, as well as omissions of technical failures from aircraft logbooks. The crash, which occurred in Vinhedo while the flight was en route from Cascavel to Guarulhos international airport, was attributed to deliberate omissions and improper maintenance practices, with evidence showing the aircraft's de-icing system failed repeatedly during its flights.