Brazilian air accident investigators are concentrating on icing as a potential cause of the crash of a Voepass ATR 72-500 in Vinhedo on 9 August. The Centro de Investigacao e Prevencao de Acidentes Aeronauticos (CENIPA) says in a preliminary report that the pilots lost control of the aircraft after encountering icing conditions during the flight from Cascavel to Sao Paulo International airport in Guarulhos. The turboprop (registered PS-VPB) stalled at its cruising flight level 170 (FL170) and entered a flat spin as the crew were preparing a descent to Guarulhos. It crashed into a residential area. There were no survivors among the 58 passengers and four crew on board. CENIPA says that pilots had activated the turboprop's airframe de-icing system three times during the flight. It was initially turned on, briefly, after an electronic ice-detector alert as the aircraft climbed through FL130. About 40 seconds later, CENIPA says, "the crew commented on the occurrence of an airframe de-icing fault", following a cockpit chime, and switched the system off. The separate propeller anti-icing system had been turned on earlier during the flight. Following the airframe de-icing system's deactivation, CENIPA says, the electronic ice-detector alert signal ceased. But the signal was intermittently emitted another five times over the next hour or so. The pilots turned on the airframe de-icing system for the second time, about three-and-a-half minutes before the loss of control, and switched it off again Around one minute before the control loss, the system was turned on for the final time, with the second pilot commenting on "a lot of icing", CENIPA says. It adds that control was lost after the aircraft had begun a right turn, in line with air traffic control instructions, and the triggering of an increase-speed alert. One of the aircraft's two cabin air conditioning and pressurisation packs was inoperable at the time, CENIPA says. The two packs are fed by engine bleed air, which is also used for the pneumatic airframe de-icing system. CENIPA notes that "failure or malfunction in one of the packs was not an impediment for the aircraft to be dispatched", provided that it would not be operated above FL170. The investigators observe that "severe icing" had been forecast for the flight information region in which the aircraft was operating at the time of the accident. The atmosphere was "very humid" and there was "extensive cloudiness with significant thickness", CENIPA says. No emergency call was made from the aircraft. CENIPA says it will follow three main lines of action in the ongoing investigation: human factors related to the pilots' performance; the aircraft's airworthiness, with "special attention" to its anti-icing, de-icing and stall-protection systems; and the operational environment. Voepass says the preliminary report "confirms that the aircraft of flight 2283 had a valid airworthiness verification certificate and that all required systems were in operation. "It also reinforces, as the report indicates, that both pilots were fit to fly, with all valid pilot certifications and up-to-date training." Noting that air accident investigation "is a complex process, involving multiple factors and requiring time to be conducted properly", the airline says that "only the final report from CENIPA will be able to conclusively determine the causes of the incident". The airline asserts that it "strictly follows all protocols that attest to the compliance of its entire fleet, following the highest standards of international aviation". It adds that "the safety of its passengers and crew has always been and will continue to be its top priority".

Southwest Airlines has agreed a tentative collective bargaining deal with the union representing its flight simulator technicians. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 19 represented Southwest's more than 50 flight simulator technicians during negotiations. "Our flight simulator technicians help keep our flight training facility operating nearly 24 hours a day and play a pivotal role in Southwest’s mission to support a safe and reliable operation," states the US carrier's vice-president of labour relations Adam Carlisle. "I am pleased they will have the opportunity to vote on a new contract."

US airports have been granted $1.9 billion in infrastructure funds under the Airport Improvement Program, the fifth such allocation announced by the Federal Aviation Administration. The funds encompass 519 grants in 48 US states, along with Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FAA is also allocating an additional $269 million in 2023 supplemental discretionary grants to fund 62 projects at 56 US airports. The regulator notes that these funds assist airport owners and operators "in the development and improvement" of the country's airport system. "The Biden-Harris administration is funding projects across the country that are making airports safer and more efficient for the passengers who travel through them and for the airport and airline employees who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make these complex systems run as smoothly as possible," states US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.