One passenger has revealed how a cup of coffee saved him from boarding a doomed Brazilian passenger plane that crashed killing everyone on board.
A dramatic video shows the Voepass Airlines plane spiralling down out of the sky over a populated area before it crashed near to a cluster of trees on Friday.
All 62 people on board – 58 passengers and four crew have been reported dead – although some relatives are still waiting for confirmation of the fate of their loved ones.
One man – Adriano Assis had finished his shift at a hospital – and was running late to catch the 11:56 am flight from Cascavel to São Paulo.
He told the Brazilian news outlet G1 that he made it to the check-in counter at 9.40am but there was no one there.
Assis then decided to grab a cup of coffee while he looked at the departure and arrival screen to see if there was any information available for flight 2283.
Adriano Assis revealed he was not allowed to board Voepass Airliness flight 2283 because he had arrived late
Voepass Airlines flight 2283 crashed in Vinhedo, a city in the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo on Friday.
Aerial view of the wreckage of an airplane that crashed with 62 people on board in Vinhedo
Captain Danilo Santos Romano was named on Saturday as the first victim of the horror crash in the city of Vinhedo, local news has reported
But in doing so he inadvertently gave himself too little time to check in and at 10.40am one of the agents told him he was too late board.
Assis said that he pleaded with the agent to allow him onto his return flight to São Paulo.
‘At that moment, I argued with him and stuff, and that was it, and he saved my life, man,’ he said.
‘He did his job because… if he hadn’t done it… maybe I wouldn’t be in this interview today, sorry.’
The pilot of the doomed aircraft was today confirmed as captain Danilo Santos Romano, 35, who had ten years of experience.
Mr Romano from Sao Paulo worked as a pilot for more than a decade and joined Voepass Airlines in 2022, his LinkedIn profile shows.
He had logged more than 4,500 flight hours and has been described as ‘always smiling’ and ‘willing to help’ by colleagues.
Mr Romano wrote in his LinkedIn profile description: ‘As an ATR72 Captain, I am responsible for the safety of passengers, cargo, and crew, as well as the maintenance of the aircraft’s airworthiness, to provide a secure, efficient, and economical flight.
‘I am passionate about aviation and committed to delivering the best service to our customers and partners.’
The 35-year-old has also been described as a fan of Palmeiras football club and a keen runner.
Mr Romano was in the cockpit when the Voepass Airlines plane came spiralling down over a populated area before crashing behind a cluster of trees on Friday.
Witnesses previously described their horror at seeing the plane ‘fall out of the sky and explode’ – as experts continue to make sense of what happened.
Mr Romano worked as a pilot for more than a decade and joined Voepass Airlines in 2022, his LinkedIn profile shows
Image shows the Voepass Airlines aircraft spiraling out of the sky just before impact
According to the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac), the plane was an ATR-72-500
The Vinhedo City Hall said all 58 passengers and four crew member on the flight were killed
The VOEPASS flight was on its way from Cascavel to Guarulhos when it crashed
‘I almost believe the pilot tried to avoid a nearby neighbourhood, which is densely populated,’ Daniel de Lima, a resident of Vinhedo near the crash site, told Reuters.
On Friday regional carrier Voepass said the plane was carrying 57 passengers and four crew, but on Saturday the firm confirmed another unaccounted for passenger was on the flight, putting the number of casualties at 62.
All those on board were carrying Brazilian-issued documents, the airline has said.
Some of the passengers were doctors from Parana heading to a seminar, Governor Ratinho Junior told reporters.
‘These were people who were used to saving lives, and now they’ve lost theirs in such tragic circumstances,’ he said.
Daniel de Lima said he heard a loud noise on Friday before looking outside his condo and seeing the plane in a horizontal spiral.
It was rotating, but it wasn’t moving forward,’ he told Reuters. ‘Soon after it fell out of the sky and exploded.’
‘When I heard the sound of the plane falling, I looked out my window at home and saw the moment it crashed,’ witness Felipe Magalhaes told Reuters.
‘Terrified and not knowing what to do, I jumped over the wall,’ he said.
The plane was on its way from Cascavel to Guarulhos cruising at 17,000 feet when it began the sudden descent and crashed.