Delays at Cascavel Airport and the firm stance of ground staff inadvertently saved the lives of several passengers who were about to board a Voepass flight that crashed on Friday near São Paulo, Brazil, killing all 62 people on board.
Reports from media outlets and social networks revealed that a number of passengers missed the ill-fated flight 2283 due to delays at the airport. Adriano Assis, one of those passengers, told Brazilian broadcaster TV Globo that he missed the flight after mistakenly arriving at the wrong gate. “I arrived at 09:40, but the LATAM gate was closed,” he said, later realizing he was supposed to board the Voepass flight.
Despite realizing his mistake an hour later, Assis was not allowed to board, even after arguing with the ground staff. “If the employee hadn’t done his job, I wouldn’t be here,” he remarked.
Similar accounts were shared by other passengers, with around ten individuals reportedly missing the flight due to similar confusion.
Voepass Flight 2283 crashed into a residential area a few kilometers from São Paulo, resulting in the death of all passengers and crew on board.
Recovery Efforts and Identification of Victims Underway
Brazilian civil protection teams worked through the night to recover the bodies from the wreckage. As of Saturday morning, 21 bodies had been recovered, with two victims identified on-site, according to the São Paulo state government. The remains have been transported to the São Paulo morgue for further identification.
Initially, Voepass reported that the aircraft carried 57 passengers and a four-member crew. However, the airline later confirmed the presence of an additional passenger, bringing the total number of fatalities to 62. All victims were Brazilian nationals.
