'I hugged staff member who stopped me': Man who was denied boarding on Brazil plane before crash

Adriano Assis, who was scheduled to be on the flight, narrowly avoided the catastrophe due to an airport mix-up.

A recent aviation disaster involving Brazil’s Voepass Airlines has drawn attention to the narrow escape of Rio de Janeiro resident Adriano Assis. The flight, en route from Cascavel to Guarulhos, crashed into a residential area in Vinhedo, resulting in the tragic loss of all 61 individuals on board, including 57 passengers and 4 crew members.

Adriano Assis, who was scheduled to be on the flight, narrowly avoided the catastrophe due to an airport mix-up. Assis, who works at the Toledo Regional Hospital, arrived late at the airport following a shift. According to an interview with Brazilian news outlet TV Globo, Assis reached the check-in counter at 9:40 am, just as the flight was scheduled to depart. However, due to what he described as a mix-up and lack of timely information, he missed the flight.

“I arrived at 9:40 am, but the gate was already closed. I waited to see if the counter would open, but there was no one around. By the time I came down, it was 10:30 am, and a large queue had formed,” Assis recounted. When he was eventually informed he could not board, Assis argued with the gate staff. “I hugged the staff member who stopped me from boarding after learning about the crash. If he hadn't done his job, I might not be here today,” Assis said.

This man wasn’t allowed to board the plane that just crashed in Vinhedo in São Paulo, Brazil because he was LATE.

He argued with the man at the boarding gate, but ended up hugging him after hearing the plane had crashed.

This is unbelievable… pic.twitter.com/wrplK3lVr4

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In the aftermath of the crash, Voepass Airlines has focused on supporting the victims' families and investigating the cause of the accident. Emerson Massera from the Brazilian military police confirmed there were no survivors and described the situation as extremely tragic. The crash, which occurred 76 kilometres from Curitiba, has led to ongoing efforts to clear debris and identify victims.