The twin-engine turboprop that crashed in Brazil had experienced a de-icing system failure last year, new claims state.
Shortly after Voepass Flight 2283 crashed on 9 August, experts suggested that ice had formed on the wings.
This would have led to a stall, a sudden loss of altitude and subsequently a crash.
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Temperatures would have been well below zero at 17,000ft just before the plane fell from the sky in a spin.
Now, local media have obtained an image from July 2023 showing the de-icing panel of the doomed ATR 72-500.
In the snap, the panel is plastered with a sticker that says “inoperative”, as reported by Need To Know.
Local media also say a selector switch fell off the plane’s instrument panel about 10 days before the crash in Vinhedo, Brazil.
Voepass has stated that the de-icing system failure detected in July 2023 was fixed.
The airline also claims that all the plane’s systems were operational during the ill-fated flight.
Accident investigator Dieter Reinsinger told local media that the pilots “seemed experienced”.
He said: “We don’t know exactly what happened up there.
“However, in a loss of control situation, a stall combined with lateral movement could lead to a spin.
“Multi-engine aircraft don’t even undergo spin tests. Given all the protection systems and alarms, a spin is extremely unlikely.”
The investigation into the crash is progressing but the final report could take years.
However, Brazil’s aviation accident investigation agency, Cenipa, says a major update may come as early as early September.
Sixty-two people lost their lives in the crash.
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