. In the mean time, they're at Ipanema chillin at the Marriott.
.
NOT TRUE
Reposted from another forum with the authors permission.
>>This is certainly no vacation for either of these pilots. I used to work with Jan, and he has corresponded with me about his situation. Make no mistake. This crew is under house arrest and are fearful of their own safety.
They are professionals that were involved in a terrible accident. Following the accident they willfully submitted to the requests of the Brazilian government by being debriefed and interviewed multiple times.
Three days after the accident, things went south. The Defense Minister publicly accused the pilots of intentionally turning off their transponder and performing aerobatic maneuvers to "test the limits of their new aircraft." He also accused them of deviating from a filed flight plan, and not complying with ATC instructions. Keep in mind that this is the same person that is charged with ensuring that the investigation is unbiased and fair. Also keep in mind that on this delivery flight there was a reporter, and several executives from both Embraer and the company that employed the pilots, ExcelAire. Not exactly the situation where I would be going out and doing steep turns and stalls (let alone aerobatic flight).
Shortly after, the ministry of justice announced that they were planning to seek charges (including possible murder charges) against any responsible parties. The Brazilian public was out for blood.
As a result, these pilots have spent no more than a handful of hours under the sunlight. Those hours that they have been out of their rooms, I've been told that it was on the roof of the hotel, also under close guard for their own protection. They are locked in their hotel rooms. Their families are not available any longer, as life must continue back in the states.
In the past weeks, it has become more apparent that ATC has played a significant role in this accident. If you've ever been to Brazil and flown through the area where the accident occurred, you would know that both radar coverage and particularly radio coverage can be sporadic. CVR recordings have apparently revealed that ATC did in fact assign the Legacy the altitude at which they were flying, and the FDR shows that the Legacy was in straight and level flight at the time of impact.
In addition, the government has yet to interview the controllers that were working on the day of the collision. These controllers have been placed on ADMINISTRATIVE MEDICAL LEAVE, and have refused to cooperate with the investigators or give any type of statements.
Today marks 50 days since the accident. These pilots have fully cooperated with the Brazilian authorities. If (and this is a big if, IMHO), it is found through a thorough investigation, that there was extreme negligence on the part of the pilots that warrants criminal charges, then there are established extradition treaties for their return to Brazil.
However, I think that it sets a very dangerous precedence when governments (of any country) start any aviation disaster investigation with finger pointing and threats of criminal prosecution, instead of investigating to find the cause and prevent it from happening again, especially if the investigators want full cooperation from all parties... The fact that the controllers have clammed up shows exactly why it's imperative not to point fingers and toss claims of "murder charges" around during an active investigation.
Finally, if you know anything about this business, accident investigations take months, if not years to come to a final determination. Do you expect these pilots to be confined until then?<<
>>Again, guys - not to beat a dead horse here, but this could have EASILY been any one of us. Neither these guys nor the Gol crew had responsibility for this tragedy. They were both flying the course and altitude that the incompetent Brazilian air traffic controllers assigned them. If you have time, PLEASE speak to your local Federal representatives and tell them to get the State Department engaged to get these guys home NOW. I spoke with Joe Lepore last night - the guys have been moved to another hotel in another city to ensure their safety. Other than that, they're in good shape, and as you can imagine, eager to get home. Their wives are being allowed to visit them for the holidays. The wives will head down there under tight security, and spend a few days with their husbands before having to leave and head home again for continued seperation. It will be the first time these guys have seen their wives since just days after this tragedy occurred. Any noise you can make for these guys, and anyone in the future who may find themselves in a similar situation, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.<<
