Plane in Brazil could crash due to icing on wings

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Pilots believe that icing of wings could have caused plane crashes in Brazil. Bild writes about this.

The ATR 72 plane crashed on the evening of August 9, falling in less than a minute from an altitude of about 4,000 meters, killing 61 people. Investigators have already found the flight recorder and the «black box», their condition will determine whether it will be possible to establish the exact cause of the tragedy.

The publication notes that on the day of the tragedy, Brazilian pilots flying near the crash site photographed the icy windows of their cockpits. A warning was issued in the region about possible icing due to high humidity and low temperatures at an altitude of 3,650 to 6,400 meters, as well as a warning about turbulence. Probably, a combination of these factors led to the disaster.

Severe icing increases the weight of the aircraft, which shifts the center of gravity and makes the machine uncontrollable. In addition, ice can damage sensors and moving parts of the plane, such as flaps, which could also have contributed to the crash.