By Gabriel Araujo

SAO PAULO (Reuters)

Brazil’s lower house of Congress has established a committee to oversee the investigation of an aircraft crash in Sao Paulo state that resulted in the deaths of 62 people.

The ATR 72-500 plane, operated by regional carrier Voepass, was on its way to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos airport from Cascavel, Parana, when it crashed in Vinhedo, approximately 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo, on August 9.

Lower House Speaker Arthur Lira authorized the formation of the 37-member committee to track the investigation’s progress, which is being conducted by the aviation accident investigation center, Cenipa.

On Tuesday, the committee voted to invite several key figures, including airline executives, investigators, and representatives from airplane manufacturer ATR, a joint venture between Airbus and Leonardo.

Nelsinho Padovani, the Congressman tasked with drafting the final report, stated, “Our intention is not to carry out a witch hunt. We want to propose measures so it does not happen again.”

Those invited to speak include Voepass President Jose Luiz Felicio Filho, Cenipa head Marcelo Moreno, and ANAC head Tiago Sousa Pereira. The committee has also invited LATAM Airlines CEO Roberto Alvo.

A spokesperson for ATR commented, “We continue to follow the situation closely, and our teams are on location with French teams to support the Brazilian investigation.”

LATAM declined to comment, while Voepass has not yet responded to requests for comments. Under lower house regulations, those invited are not required to appear.

Padovani anticipates that hearings will be finished by December, with the final report due in February. Cenipa is expected to release a preliminary report on the crash by September 6.

Experts have suggested that ice on the wings could have contributed to the crash, as warnings were issued for severe icing in the area that day.

Past incidents have shown that some pilots lost control of ATR planes after formation of ice on the aircraft. The lawmakers also plan to visit Voepass’ maintenance hub in Sao Paulo state and review the codeshare agreement with LATAM.