Two American Pilots Caught In The Middle

The head of Brazil's Federal Police has accused the Brazilian Defense Department of withholding evidence that could implicate Brazilian Air Force employees as having contributed to the mid-air collision last month that killed 154 people.

As ANN reported yesterday, Brazil's Defense Minister Waldir Pires backtracked on statements that the two American pilots flying a new Embraer Legacy 600 were not following their flight plan when they clipped the Brazilian Gol Airlines Boeing 737.

Now, the two pilots seem to be caught in a political cat-fight as police official, Renato Sayao, complains that defense officials are hindering his investigation.

Newsday reports the federal police on Monday formally demanded the names of the air traffic controllers on duty at three different centers, as well as all the recorded pilot/controller radio conversation tapes.

The Brazilian newspaper O Globo was quoted as saying Pires would comply with the police request "soon." The defense minister had previously accused the two Embraer pilots of turning off their transponders and deliberately ignoring ATC instructions.

The planes crashed near the point the Legacy jet, owned by ExcelAire in Ronkonkoma,NY was passing into airspace controlled by the regional air traffic control center in Manaus, the city from which the Boeing had departed and to which the Legacy was heading.

The Brazilian Air Force operates Brazil's air traffic control system and the controllers are uniformed military personnel.

Meanwhile, the two pilots, Joseph Lepore and Jan Paladino remain in Brazil unable to return home.

Numerous requests by members of the US congress to allow them to come home while the investigation continues, have been ignored by the Brazilian government.

FMI: http://www.brasilemb.org/