The mother of a nine-month-old baby, Olivia, reported that the child's oxygen saturation level, who has a congenital heart disease, showed lower levels while waiting for the landing at Leite Lopes Airport in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo.
The landing of the air ambulance was postponed on Friday morning (23) due to a theft of cables that deactivated the beaconing system, which is the essential lighting signal to guide pilots during the night.
Vânia de Santana Beche, Olivia's mother, stated that by the afternoon of the same Friday, she had not received information about any consequences of the delay for the girl's health. The baby had traveled from Porto Velho, Rondônia (RO), to the HC Criança of the Ribeirão Preto Hospital das Clínicas to undergo examinations.
She commented: 'There could have been consequences because she was coming precisely for a medical procedure, and then there was a significant delay. But, initially, they did not inform me that she missed any exams because of this.'
In a statement, Rede Voa, responsible for airport management, clarified that the air ambulance flight, initially scheduled to land at 4:30 AM, only managed to land at 5:40 AM. The company informed that the beaconing system remained inoperative for approximately an hour and a half.
Lower saturation during overflight
According to Vânia, Olivia suffers from Ebstein's anomaly, which is a congenital malformation in one of the heart valves. The girl frequently experiences cyanosis crises, characterized by bluish discoloration of the skin and lips due to oxygen deficiency in the blood, which requires the use of supplemental oxygen.
The trip was made with the mother, a doctor, and a nurse, in addition to the pilot and co-pilot. During the flight, the doctor monitored Olivia's saturation, which represents the amount of oxygen in the blood, a level that constantly varies. The mother explained: 'Since we were in that oscillation of being overflying for a long time, her saturation became a bit lower. So, that was more of her risk.'
Vânia emphasized that the transfer of her daughter took place in an air ambulance, not a commercial flight, precisely because of the inherent risks associated with her condition.
Waiting and possible diversion to Sorocaba
According to the mother's account, the aircraft crew notified the medical team about the impossibility of landing due to the lack of signaling at the airport. Initially, a forty-minute wait was planned until the situation was normalized. Since the problem persisted after this period, passengers were warned about the possibility of the plane needing to land in Sorocaba, São Paulo (SP).
With the dawn, the runway became visible, and landing in Ribeirão Preto was finally authorized. Vânia added that she was unaware that the signaling failure was caused by an act of theft. She mentioned that the flight was already about seven hours long, and the delay made the journey even more exhausting for the child. She expressed her fatigue: 'When you expect to arrive, it's a crying baby in your lap, very irritable already. She was already very irritable, and all we wanted was to land. But then it wasn't possible, and it is very exhausting.'
Treatment in Ribeirão Preto
According to Vânia, Olivia was directed to Ribeirão Preto by the cardiologist accompanying her in Porto Velho, since the capital of Rondônia did not have the necessary resources to perform the surgery.
At HC Criança, pediatric cardiologists are performing the girl's examinations. The definition of the date for the start of treatment is still pending, according to the mother: 'After the exams, they will give us the date.'
Recurrent thefts
Rede Voa also informed that the deactivation of the beaconing system caused a delay in another Latam takeoff. This flight was scheduled for 4:50 AM and only took off at 5:45 AM. This incident marks the third theft recorded at the airport that week. On Tuesday (20) and Wednesday (21), Rede Voa had already registered police reports regarding the theft of runway beacon light poles.
In its note, the company assured that the airport continues to comply with all safety standards established by legislation and classified the thefts as sporadic events. Furthermore, it communicated that the maintenance team managed to locate and repair the point used to access the airport area.
Rede Voa also announced that it will meet with the Military Police and other security agencies this Friday to discuss the implementation of police operations aimed at preventing new thefts in the airport area. During the investigation, the EPTV team, affiliated with TV Globo, identified an opening in the electric fence surrounding the Leite Lopes Airport landing and takeoff runway.
As of the latest update, no suspect individual had been identified or detained.