Introduction

An unfortunate incident associated with a passenger aircraft was reported in Brazil in August of 2024, where a Brazilian airline company, Azul Linhas Aéreas, a passenger Boeing aircraft crashed shortly after its departure from São Paulo airport. Travelling from Garça-BH to Rio de Janeiro, the Boeing 737 experienced a sudden decrease in altitude, which caused the plane to fall from the sky; 189 passengers and crew members perished.

The first probe of the crash provided the investigators with several worrying aspects. Based on early findings it was suggested that the aircraft’s autopilot system was off when the plane erupted into flames just a few minutes after take off. 

According to the analysis of the plane’s black box which was retrieved after the crash, there were abrupt variations in heights and velocity suggesting that the autopilot had disconnected ingloriously. This malfunction is at the moment undergoing a detailed study to ascertain the cause.

Severe Thunderstorms
In addition, the weather conditions at the time of the crash was not favourable. This situation had it that there were severe thunderstorms in the area which included torrential rain and strong winds which hampered visibility and control over aeroplanes. However, weather data only provided a part of the picture that could not explain the loss of control. 

The aircraft’s flight crew had been trained on how to fly in worst-case-adverse weather conditions, which led to questions as of if the adverse conditions either precipitated a previous unknown mechanical issue or an error.

History
Maintenance history of the aircraft is also in question. Some sources indicate that the aircraft had recent servicing, but there is doubt as to whether all the relevant repairs and tests were effectively carried out. This aspect is very important because a mistake or overlook in the maintenance schedules is hazardous to the aircrafts safety and efficiency.

Remarkably, human error has not been put altogether to rest, either. Authorities are also seeking to determine whether there were failures in the training or process of the pilots that would led to the crash. Communication and behaviour of the crew members and their actions and responses in the event circumstances are evaluated to determine whether emergency procedures were followed.

Investigation

As it stands, the players in the aviation fraternity are concentrating on trying to recreate the events in a bid to understand all that transpired. The point of investigation is to guarantee that a catastrophe of similar kind will never occur again in the future, using the results of the investigation to rectify any of the shortcomings in preventing risks, as well as increasing the efficiency of the general aviation demands and tools.

In this regard, the Brazilian government has declared its commitment to improve measures and laws that will avoid such occurrences in future. The concerned airline has also promised to fully cooperate with the inquiry and to assist the bereaved families.