Why did the plane crash in Brazil? The ice on the wings hypothesis

Rome, August 10, 2024 – There are still no definitive answers to this question. a reason Dellplane crash in BrazilSixty-two victims who were onAtr 72 From Brazilian Regional Airlines FobasWhich crashed yesterday in a residential area in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, after losing nearly 5 kilometers of altitude in less than two minutes.

Investigation officials have not said anything yet, but aviation experts and pilots with flying experience in the same area point to the presence of Ice on plane wings.

Ice formation on the surface of an aircraft is a common phenomenon. Anyone who has flown in winter has probably noticed these procedures.defrosting(De-icing) which is done at airports when temperatures drop below zero: On the aircraft, especially on sensitive parts such as the wings, it is spread hot water which is added to it antifreezeIn more severe weather conditions, another procedure called “against–Freezewhich has antifreeze It is applied undiluted in water, so that it remains on the surface of the aircraft to avoid injury. Ice formation at high altitudes.

The plane that crashed yesterday left from rattlesnakein the state of Paraná, where temperatures are currently well above freezing. So? Ice is formed when an aircraft comes into contact with water droplets suspended in the air, under certain weather conditions, “with a greater probability of Temperature Included Between -15 and 0 degrees Celsius“The magazine explains,” to focusBelow 3000 meters there is only a significant risk in winter. Above this altitude, ground conditions have no effect and the risk of ice formation does not depend on the season. The risk is high. From 3 thousand to 5 thousand metersthen it goes down. In fact, when the air rises, it cools but the water vapor decreases.

Ice that forms on an airplane changes its shape. Aerodynamic properties from the plane, because frozen wings change their shape. This affects how the plane responds to it. CommandsSnow can also impair mechanical movement. Moving parts of the wing (flap) works during Take off H Landing.

Brazilian aviation authorities said the plane and pilots were in good flying condition. Updated LicensesMore importantly, the crew did not notify the control towers. Any emergency or problem on board the planeExperts focus their attention on what is unusual. Circular motion It is done by the plane shortly before it collides and crashes. They call it a “flat spin” (the plane spins on itself on a plane parallel to the ground), which can be explained – they say – by Engine failure Or specifically fromIce buildup on wings.

Agency Reuters “Icing was expected today (at the altitudes the plane was flying), but within an acceptable range,” said Marcel Mora, an airline executive. “But the plane is sensitive to icing, and this could be a trigger.” He added that it was true that “ATR was equipped with a defroster system,” which would have worked regularly.

Reuters quoted others as saying: Incidents in the recent past Which involved ATR aircraft (Avions de Transport, French-made), due to icing. “An ATR-72 crashed in 1994 IndianaKilling 68 people, after the plane failed to turn due to ice buildup. Another ATR-72 was grounded in 2016. Norway After ice accumulated on the plane, the pilot was able to regain control of the plane.

the Black box From the plane, or contains audio recordings and flight data, recovered from the wreckage of the plane: it will be able to confirm or deny the hypothesis, and shed light on the real causes of the disaster.