Man stopped from boarding plane for lateness reacts after the plane crashed in Brazil (video)
A Brazilian man, Adriano Assis, is lucky to be alive after he was stopped from boarding a plane because he was late. The plane later crashed k1lling all the 62 people on board.
Assis recounted how he finished his shift at a hospital and rushed out to catch the 11:56 am flight at Cascavel Regional Airport in Cascavel, Paraná to São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo.
According to him, he got to the airport a little too early at 9:40 am and so did not see any agent at the counter to check him in.
He said he then went upstairs to take some coffee and pass the time.
Assis said he was in the lounge waiting for an announcement on the microphone regarding check-in for his flight, but there was none.
After some time, he decided to go downstairs to investigate what was happening and found that the check-in was almost over. He met a long queue which he joined by 10:30 am.
At 10:41, which was 11 minutes after he joined the queue, an airport staff announced that the counter had closed and he could not board because it was already an hour to boarding time.
Assis exchanged words with the officials because he believed it was unfair that he arrived so early and was being stopped from boarding the plane. But the officials stood their ground.
It turned out it was all for his good as the flight, Voepass Airlines flight 2283 crashed behind a condominium in Vinhedo, a city in the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo on Friday.
There was no survivor.
Assis was still at the airport when the sad news of the crash was broadcast on the news.
Assis said he went back to hug the airport staff who refused to let him check in.
He said he thanked the staff for doing his job, which ultimately saved his life.
Aside from Assis, 10 other passengers who were waiting by the wrong gate were also unable to board the flight and some of them are now speaking out to express gratitude.
Watch his tearful interview here.