The plane caught fire after the impact

A small plane from the Bahian company Abaeté Aviação crashed on Wednesday afternoon (23) in a rural region of the city of Paraibuna, in Vale do Paraíba, in São Paulo. According to the Fire Department, the aircraft, which was flying over the region during a period of strong storms, had crashed into a hill and caught fire after the impact.

Five people were on the aircraft. São Paulo’s Civil Defense had confirmed everyone’s deaths, but backtracked early this morning. “Teams are already at the scene and found the wreckage of the aircraft, however, so far, no signs of survivors have been identified,” firefighters informed.

The plane, registered PT-MBU, crashed on Estrada da Fazenda Capela – Fazenda Caetê, in an area of ​​difficult access, located between the Carpir and Caetê farms, close to the municipality of Santa Branca. The rescue call was made at 6:46 pm.

Adverse conditions, such as heavy rain, low visibility and the state of destruction of the aircraft are making it difficult to locate the victims, the Fire Department reported.

Teams from the Municipal Civil Defense of Paraibuna and the Fire Department were called and accessed the site of the aircraft crash. The Military Police are also responding to the incident; and the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) reported that investigators from the FAB’s specialized bodies were mobilized to carry out initial investigations into the accident.

According to the Brazilian Aeronautical Registry (RAB), the aircraft that suffered the accident was a twin-engine turboprop with capacity to transport eight people (six passengers), manufactured by Embraer, and authorized to operate as an air taxi.

According to the records, the documentation was regular. The plane’s Airworthiness Verification Certificate (CVA) would expire on June 25 of next year; and the airworthiness situation was considered “normal”.

Investigators from the Fourth Regional Service for the Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents, Seripa-IV, a regional body of the Center for Research and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa), were on site to begin investigations into the accident.

This preliminary action involves collecting and confirming data, verifying the damage caused to the aircraft or by the aircraft, and gathering other information necessary for the investigation.

“The conclusion of this investigation will take the shortest possible time, always depending on the complexity of the occurrence and, also, the need to discover possible contributing factors”, informed the FAB, in a note.

The city’s mayor, Vitão Miranda (PSD), even published a story on social media with the phrase: “Unfortunately, an aircraft crashed”, based on information from a local portal. In the publication, the mayor did not provide any further information about the incident or what type of aircraft had caused the accident.