SAO PAULO — Brazil's federal police have formally accused 16 current and former employees of regional carrier Voepass, including the airline's owner and president, over the August 2024 crash of Flight 2283 that killed all 62 people on board, authorities said on Friday after concluding a nearly two-year criminal investigation.
Among those accused is Voepass owner and president José Luiz Felicio Filho, according to the federal police investigation. The case has been forwarded to federal prosecutors, who will determine whether to file criminal charges. Under Brazil's legal system, a police indictment does not itself constitute a conviction or formal criminal charge.
Federal police said investigators found evidence of alleged malpractice, negligence and failures to properly document recurring technical problems affecting the ATR 72-500 aircraft that crashed near the town of Vinhedo, outside Sao Paulo, on Aug. 9, 2024, while operating a scheduled flight from Cascavel in Parana state. All 58 passengers and four crew members were killed.
According to investigators, the aircraft had experienced repeated faults involving its de-icing system before the accident. Police alleged that maintenance deficiencies were not adequately recorded and that the aircraft continued operating despite known technical issues. The investigation also examined the airline's maintenance practices and internal oversight procedures.
The police findings follow the release last month of the final accident report by Brazil's Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA), which concluded that the crash resulted from a combination of severe atmospheric icing, failures in the aircraft's de-icing system, crew actions and broader organizational shortcomings at the airline. The safety investigation identified multiple contributing factors but, consistent with international aviation standards, did not assign criminal liability.
Investigators also pointed to what they described as a culture of tolerating maintenance deviations and inadequate recording of aircraft defects, while identifying regulatory oversight shortcomings that they said contributed to the deterioration of safety conditions.
Voepass has previously said its crews were properly trained and operated in accordance with international safety standards, and that it has cooperated with investigations into the crash. The airline has also faced regulatory action since the accident, with Brazil's aviation regulator suspending its operations over safety concerns before the company later sought bankruptcy protection.
Federal prosecutors will now review the police investigation and decide whether to pursue criminal proceedings against any of the individuals named in the case.
