Brazil forms committee to oversee probe into plane crash that killed 62

Brazil’s Congress has announced the formation of a committee to oversee an investigation into a plane crash earlier this month that killed 62 people.

Lower House Speaker Arthur Lira authorised the installation of a 37-person committee last week, tasked with tracking an inquiry by Cenipa, a body that investigates aviation accidents.

The lower house is expected to decide who to summon to speak before the panel on Tuesday.

“Our intention is not to carry out a witch-hunt,” Congressman Nelsinho Padovani said. “We want to propose measures so it does not happen again.”

The tragic incident, in which an ATR 72-500 plane operated by the regional airline Voepass crashed in the town of Vinhedo about 80km (50 miles) north of Sao Paulo, is Brazil’s deadliest aviation accident in more than a decade.

Padovani told Reuters news agency that the committee is expected to summon figures such as Voepass President Jose Luiz Felicio Filho, Cenipa head Marcelo Moreno, and the head of Brazil’s civil aviation regulator ANAC, Tiago Sousa Pereira, to speak before the panel. Those invited to speak are not obligated to appear before the committee.

While Cenipa is expected to release preliminary findings of its investigation by September 6, the Congressional committee will hold hearings until December and expects to issue a report in February.