Preliminary report finds ice buildup in Brazil's deadly August plane crash

China

Preliminary report finds ice buildup in Brazil's deadly August plane crash

2024-09-08 16:20 Last Updated At：17:57

A preliminary report released Friday by Brazil's aviation authorities found ice formation on the wings of the plane that crashed in Sao Paulo state on August 9.

The Brazilian Center for Research and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa), which was tasked with investigating the accident, released its preliminary report into the fatal crash that killed all 62 people on board.

The passenger plane crashed into the backyard of a home in a gated community in Vinhedo, a city in the countryside of Sao Paulo state, about 20 minutes before it was due to land.

The report cited the discovery of ice buildup on the plane's wings but did not mention a definite cause for the accident.

At a press conference, Paulo Mendes Froes, head investigator for Cenipa, used a model plane to illustrate the final moments of the flight.

A video simulation depicting the last three minutes of the flight with key flight data information was also displayed on screen.

Cenipa is not discussing why or how the accident happened, but is focusing solely on presenting plain facts, said Froes.

The report also highlighted that the co-pilot reported excessive ice one minute before the loss of control, but didn't explore the cause of the issue, nor did the crew respond to it.

Friday's findings did not signal an end to the investigation, which could take a whole year, according to Cenipa.

An aviation safety and risk management expert said another key reason for a detailed investigation is to bring closure to the loved ones of the victims, who were given access to the report right before it was released to the public.

"It's very important for any of us to have answers, to understand what happened. So, it's something key for someone who lost a loved one in an accident. They deserve to know, they deserve to understand why," said Mauricio Pontes, CEO of C5i Risk and Crisis, a Sao Paulo-headquartered risk and crisis management company, in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).

Beijing consumer gold market remains hot despite rising prices

2024-09-17 04:15 Last Updated At：08:17

Beijing's consumer gold market has been running hot during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, despite recent rises in the gold price on international markets.

Last week, the main contract for gold futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange (COMEX) has risen to over 2,600 U.S. dollars per ounce.

At a gold shop in Beijing's Xicheng District, the price of pure gold jewelry went up to about 737 yuan (about 104 U.S. dollars) per gram, but many shoppers are still looking to buy gold jewelry especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday and the end-of-summer wedding season.

"It is now more than 700 yuan (about 98.7 U.S. dollars) per gram, but when we were here about two months ago, it was only just above 600 yuan (about 84.6 U.S. dollars) per gram," said a customer.

"I'm getting married, so I came to have a look. Even if the price goes up, we still have to buy it," said another customer.

"I had nothing to do during the holidays, so I came here to take a look [at the gold jewelry]. I just bought a lucky charm bead and now I want to take a look at the bracelet," said another customer.

At the shop's gold investment counter, many consumers have been making inquiries about gold bars, which has long been considered a safe investment, although experts recommend caution in the rising gold market.

At the shop's gold investment counter, many consumers have been inquiring about gold bars, which have long been considered a safe investment. However, experts recommend caution in the rising gold market.

"Many investors will buy gold bars for medium- to long-term investment based on their expected price as part of their overall family asset allocation. We suggest that investors be more rational in their decisions," said Li Yang, a senior gold investment analyst.