BRAZIL · COURTS
Key Facts
- —What is happening A federal judge in Campinas accepted criminal charges on Tuesday, 20 October against 12 Voepass managers and staff over the crash of flight 2283, which killed 62 people on Friday, 9 August 2024.
- —Why it matters The case puts the airline’s owner and senior managers, not only operational staff, before a criminal court for a Brazilian air disaster, on allegations of cost cutting over safety.
- —The numbers Twelve people are now defendants, 62 people died (58 passengers and four crew), police had indicted 16 in August, and the accused have ten days to answer in writing.
- —Who is who Voepass is a Brazilian regional airline whose owner and president is José Luiz Felício Filho, who is presumed innocent. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) brought the case, and Anac is Brazil’s civil aviation regulator.
- —What to watch The written defence responses, due within ten days of the accused being formally served, after which the court moves to evidence, witnesses and experts.
- —Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you Voepass has lost its operator certificate, so US visitors cannot fly it, and US lessors, insurers and investors in regional airlines can see how Brazil assigns criminal blame.
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A federal judge in Campinas has made 12 Voepass managers and staff defendants over the August 2024 crash that killed 62 people. Being charged is not a conviction.
A federal judge in Campinas, São Paulo state, accepted charges on Tuesday, 20 October against 12 people tied to the airline Voepass. Correio Braziliense, O Tempo and other Brazilian outlets reported the decision on Wednesday, 21 October.
The accusations concern flight 2283, an ATR 72-500 that crashed at Vinhedo on Friday, 9 August 2024, killing all 62 aboard. Accepting charges is not a conviction, and each defendant is presumed innocent.
What the Court Decided
Judge Leonardo Limeira Santos of Campinas’s 9th Federal Court signed the order on Tuesday, 20 October, Correio Braziliense and Mixvale report. He accepted a complaint filed in September by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF), Brazil’s federal prosecution service.
The charges are attack on the safety of air transport and an air transport disaster, according to Correio Braziliense and SBT News. Meio News reports that the judge found the complaint contained enough evidence to open a criminal case.
The accused have ten days after being served to file written responses, Meio News reports. Evidence, including witnesses and experts the prosecution listed, follows before any verdict.
The judge declined for now to suspend the defendants’ technical aviation certificates, Meio News and Mixvale report. Airway adds that the decision could be revisited if new evidence emerges.
The case is under court seal, according to O Tempo and Mixvale. Mixvale also reports that the judge postponed setting a minimum damages amount until any sentencing.
Who Is Accused
The 12 accused include owner and president José Luiz Felício Filho, the only one named here, and other managers and staff. All are presumed innocent, and the court has restricted identifying the defendants, according to Meio News.
Two employees without command roles are also among the accused, Correio Braziliense reports. The court order is sealed, so the roles come from outlets that saw the list.
Felício’s lawyers say he sat on the company board at the time and was not in daily management, O Tempo reports. They say he has cooperated with the authorities and will respond in the case.
Voepass said the case will follow legal procedure and that it will keep cooperating with the courts and authorities, O Tempo reports. The company added that it has always treated operational safety as a fundamental principle.
The Federal Police indicted 16 people on Thursday, 6 August, Correio Braziliense reports. Four are not among the 12 defendants, and prosecutors asked to shelve the case against a former chief executive, Mixvale reports.
What Prosecutors Allege
Prosecutor Viviane de Oliveira Martinez says the disaster was not a fortuitous or isolated event, O Tempo and SBT News report. She described a conscious degradation of operational safety management.
The complaint says the accused applied cost cutting and kept flying at any cost despite known risks, O Tempo reports. These are allegations that the defendants have yet to answer in court.
It cites repeated failures of the pneumatic de-icing system and windshield wiper on the accident flight and three before, Mixvale reports. A pneumatic de-icing system uses inflatable boots that crack ice off the wings.
It also alleges precarious repairs, untraceable parts and pressure on technical staff to leave defects out of logbooks, Mixvale reports. The complaint draws on reports from the Federal Police, the air accident agency Cenipa and the regulator Anac.
Leonardo Amarante, a lawyer for relatives of 37 victims, called the case unprecedented in Brazil for an air accident, O Tempo reports. Another victims’ lawyer, Luciano Katarinhuk, is preparing a civil class action, Mixvale reports.
The Crash and the Airline
Flight 2283 left Cascavel, in Paraná state, for Guarulhos, São Paulo’s main international airport, when the ATR 72-500 fell at Vinhedo. The 62 dead were 58 passengers and four crew, Correio Braziliense reports.
Anac administratively revoked Voepass’s operator certificate, Airway and Meio News report. The airline can therefore no longer sell commercial flights.
Background on the investigation is in an earlier report on the Voepass crash report. More aviation context is in reports on Brazil airfares and fuel costs and the Gol credit upgrade.
What It Means for US Readers
US travellers cannot book Voepass, because it has lost its operator certificate. Visitors flying inside Brazil use other carriers, whose maintenance records the same prosecutors and regulators can examine.
The NTSB investigated the 1994 icing crash of an American Eagle ATR 72 at Roselawn, Indiana, which killed 68. This article draws no link between that crash and the Voepass accident.
Lessors, insurers and investors in regional airlines may watch whether Brazil’s courts hold senior managers personally liable. No verdict exists, and more coverage is on the Brazil news page.
What Is Not Known
The court order is sealed and could not be read, and the court and MPF websites did not load. The facts above come from several Brazilian outlets that report the same decision, and the exact September filing date is not stated.
Outlets differ on the four left out: Correio Braziliense and SBT News say all reached non-prosecution agreements, Airway says proposals. O Tempo and Mixvale say two pilots are simply absent from the decision.
Reports also differ on the prison terms that apply, so none are given here. No statement from the other 11 defendants was found, and no trial date has been set.
What Comes Next
The defendants must answer in writing within ten days of being served. The court then hears the evidence, witnesses and experts before it can convict or acquit anyone.
A civil class action by victims’ families is being prepared, according to Mixvale. Neither step means any defendant is guilty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Brazilian court decide on the Voepass crash?
A federal judge in Campinas accepted charges on Tuesday, 20 October against 12 people linked to Voepass. It opens a criminal case and is not a conviction.
How many people died in the Voepass crash?
The ATR 72-500 crashed at Vinhedo on Friday, 9 August 2024, killing all 62 on board. They were 58 passengers and four crew.
Who is accused in the Voepass case?
The 12 accused include owner and president José Luiz Felício Filho, who is presumed innocent, and other managers and staff. The court has restricted identifying the others, so they are not named.
What do prosecutors say caused the Voepass crash?
The MPF says a continuing process of deliberate omissions and cost cutting degraded safety. Its complaint cites recurring de-icing failures, and the defendants have not yet answered in court.
Can I still fly Voepass?
No, Voepass cannot be booked. Anac administratively revoked the airline’s operator certificate, so it cannot sell commercial flights.
Sources: Correio Braziliense, 21 October; Mixvale, 21 October; O Tempo, 21 October; Meio News, 21 October; Airway, 21 October; SBT News, 21 October; Brasil 247, 21 October; BNews São Paulo, MPF complaint, September; Aerossurance, Roselawn accident of 1994 (all accessed 22 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief