Helicopter Crash in São Paulo Kills Couple; Pilot and Daughter, 12, Survive Night in Forest

Jan 17, 2025, 12:15 PM

A helicopter carrying four people crashed in Caieiras, in the Greater São Paulo area, on Thursday night, January 16. The aircraft, registered as PR-WVT, departed from São Paulo's Campo de Marte airport at around 8:00 p.m., bound for Americana, and lost GPS signal at 8:34 p.m. The crash occurred in the Morro do Tico-Tico area, near kilometer 31 of the Rodovia dos Bandeirantes, in a densely wooded region. On Friday morning, the pilot, Edenilson de Oliveira, and 12-year-old Bethina Feldman were rescued and taken to the Hospital das Clínicas in stable condition. Bethina was rescued on her 12th birthday. Tragically, her parents, businessman André Feldman and his wife, Juliana Böher, died in the accident. The pilot and the girl spent the night in the forest under a shared umbrella, awaiting rescue. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, with adverse weather conditions and the lack of authorization for air taxi operations being considered. The helicopter had previously faced issues in 2023, including a door falling off during a test flight. The National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) confirmed that the helicopter was not authorized for air taxi services. The Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (Cenipa) will conduct an investigation into the incident. The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, expressed condolences to the families.