A total of 14 people have lost their lives in a crash that occurred in the interior of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, as reported by the state governor. The aircraft, an Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante (registered PT-SOG) and operated by Manaus Aerotaxi, was chartered for a fishing trip.
“I deeply regret the death of the 12 passengers and two crew members who were victims of the air accident that occurred on Saturday in Barcelos,” Amazonas Governor Wilson Lima wrote on his X social media profile, formerly known as Twitter.
Lamento profundamente a morte dos 12 passageiros e dois tripulantes, vítimas do acidente de avião ocorrido neste sábado, em Barcelos. Nossas equipes estão atuando, desde o primeiro momento, para prestar o apoio necessário. Aos familiares e amigos, minha solidariedade e orações.
— Wilson Lima (@wilsonlimaAM) September 16, 2023
Specifically, the accident occurred in the province of Barcelos, located approximately 400 kilometers from Manaus, the state’s capital.
There, government rescue teams “have been working from the outset to provide the necessary support,” as explained by Lima, who expressed “solidarity and prayers with the families and friends” of the deceased.
Aerotaxi Manaus Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante (PT-SOG, built 1990) went off the runway during landing in rain at Barcelos (SWBC), Amazon, Brazil. The EMB-110 crashed against terrain leaving all 14 people on board dead. The flight originated in Manaus.https://t.co/L1JLsone4C pic.twitter.com/438XS60rxR
— JACDEC (@JacdecNew) September 17, 2023
Preliminary information released by local authorities and reported by the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper suggests that the group was heading from Manaus to Barcelos on a leisure trip for sport fishing.
“It was raining heavily at the time of the accident. There was information that two planes that had been on the flight earlier chose to return to Manaus because the safety conditions at the location did not allow them to land,” explained Colonel Vinicius Almeida, Secretary of Public Security of Amazonas.
Meanwhile, the airline Manaus Aerotaxi confirmed in a statement that an accident had occurred and that it is already under investigation, although no details have been provided regarding the number of injured and deceased.
“We respect the privacy of those involved in this difficult time and will be available to provide all necessary information and updates as the investigation progresses,” they assured in a statement.
?ATENÇÃO: O avião que caiu em Barcelos, no Amazonas, tinha 14 pessoas. Todos morreram, incluindo o piloto e copiloto.
O avião tipo taxi aéreo transportava turistas americanos. pic.twitter.com/j95NyI5l7e
— CHOQUEI (@choquei) September 16, 2023
