Please Help Pilots Stuck In Brazil

[CAL EWR B737]

Please Help Pilots Stuck in Brazil

The following forwarded e-mail is from my good friend and fellow Continental pilot. His friend Joe Lepore was the captain of the executive jet that had a mid-air collision with a Brazilian 737-800 airliner over Brazil in September. Joe is a former Trans States (ALPA) and Jan is former Eagle and furloughed American (ALPA and APA).

Joe and his copilot Jan have been held in Brazil with their passports confiscated by the local authorities for almost two months.

Please review the forwarded e-mails and the attached sample letter I am sending to you. Please forward this email, along with the sample letter, to others (especially to those that live in New York state.)

Ask all who are forwarded these emails to send the sample letter to the listed US officials to create the political pressure needed so Joe and his copilot can return home to their families.

Thank You,






I got the following email from Ellen Lepore, Joe Lepore's wife. All along we've been asked if there's anything that we could do to help Joe and Jan, his co-pilot. Well, now there is. Please send letters to the politicians in the accompanying email as soon as possible. Make sure your spouses, family, friends, EVERYONE YOU KNOW sends one. It's important that these guys finally get home to their families. Please send this email to everyone that you know. Now's the time to step up and do whatever we can to help. Remember, not only is Joe a great guy who doesn't deserve the treatment he's getting, but it could also be you down there needing help, wishing someone would write a letter. Please help and write the letters as soon as possible. It'll only take a moment, and you can reunite two families for the holidays. Thanks so much for your help. I know Joe for many years, and I know he and his family would be very appreciative and thank you all as well. Thanks!



I just wanted to let you know that we got the OK to put the pressure on the US Gov't to try and get Joe and Jan home. I've attached a document that includes the names of a few politicians along with a sample letter. Please pass this along to anyone you think might help.

Thank you!!

Ellen

 

[CAL EWR B737]

CONTACT INFORMATION

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
Fax: 202-228-0282
Phone: 202-224-4451
476 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC20514

Congressman Pete King
[email protected]
436 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC20515
202-225-7896

Senator Charles Schumer
757 Third Ave.
Suite 17-02
New York, NY10017
Fax:202-228-3027

Gary Ackerman
202-225-1589 (fax)
2243 Rayburn Office Building
House of Representatives
Washington, DC20515
202-225-2601
202-225-1580 (fax)

One additional contact and addition:


Congressman Peter King's fax number is 202-226-2279

Joe's local Congressman is:

Congressman Steve Israel
432 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone - 202-225-3335
Fax - 202-225-4669


Thanks again to all of you for your help in this urgent matter!


SAMPLE LETTER
Nov. xx, 2006

Dear xx (senator or congressman)

We are writing to engage your assistance in the return of Jan Paladino and Joe Lepore, two professional pilots from New York, who have been unlawfully detained in Brazil for more than six weeks.


Brazilian authorities continue to hold their passports since their involvement in a mid-air collision on September 29th, despite the fact that there has been no evidence to suggest that these pilots caused this tragic accident. They have been prevented from returning home to their families, without any charges, in violation of Brazilian law, and international aviation treaties.


Sadly, Brazilian government officials have tried to scapegoat these pilots to conceal the shortcomings in their own aviation system. Air safety depends on the integrity of accident investigations. Without free and open discourse championed by ICAO and such internationally respected organizations as the Flight Safety Foundation, the cause of air safety is impaired.

This heavy-handed treatment of these New York pilots, while they are fully cooperating with authorities, is unfair and impedes the aviation investigation and threatens the safety of air travelers throughout Brazil.


We ask for your prompt assistance in helping to bring these honorable pilots home.

Regards,

Xxx

 

[CAL EWR B737]

I have already contacted my friend ALPA President Elect John Prater could someone from AA please forward this information to the APA leadership.

Thank You

 

[CAL EWR B737]

The guys are locked up in a hotel in Rio. Unfortunately, their whereabouts can't be disclosed out of fear for their safety. The Brazilian press has whipped up a fervor against these guys, and they have not set foot outside their hotel in almost 6 weeks. They've been widely portrayed in the Brazilian press as two millionaire playboys playing around in Daddy's jet, doing loops and rolls at FL370. Seriously, that's what's been said. In actuality, Joe is just a charter pilot trying to eke out a living trying to feed his family, and Jan is a AA guy on furlough. Millionaires, indeed. The public is in such a frenzy about this that they've been locked away in the hotel for their own good.

They got to actually go outside for some sun and air twice in 6 weeks - both times for about 10 minutes at a time on the rooftop of the hotel. At this point, they just want to come home to their families. The evidence in their favor is overwhelming. ATC personnel and the CVR tapes clearly show that they were told to maintain the altitude that they were at. No one yet knows why the transponder didn't work. There was no reason whatsoever for them to turn it off, and Joe swears he didn't touch it. This was the aircraft's maiden voyage, and I personally suspect it just plain failed, which would normally just be a plain old squawk on a new plane under different circumstances. ATC has testified that they tracked the plane for over an hour with no mode C, and yet they never notified the crew. The politics down there is such that the Brazilian govenment is left with egg on their face, and they're trying to extridite themselves from this without looking like fools. I believe the Chinese call it saving face. Meanwhile these guys rot in Brazil. It's really a shame, but as I said earlier, it could easily be any of us. Scary, isn't it?
__________________

 

[TOGA]

FWIW, I'm sending the letter to my rep's here in Ohio. Even if they did something criminally negligent (and I don't believe they did), there exists an extradition treaty between the US and Brazil. The Brazilian authorities could get them back later, if necessary. Thanks for posting this!

 

[CAL EWR B737]

Thank you!

 

[Networ-King]

Im on it as well... Jan is a great guy and this is an unfortunate event. I'll get the letter to as many people as I know and help out. It's just criminal how these guys are being treated. Hang in the Jan.... its only a matter of time till you get home bro.... don't forget what I told you over the phone man.... keep a chin up....

 

[GravityHater]

find out what rooftop, we have helos! Bust their azzes outta that prison!

 

[Sir Innocenti]

What i wanna know is....Has the State Department done anything for these guys?????

 

[CAL EWR B737]

John Prater ALPA President Elect said IFALPA has issued a statement of support and he is personally contacting the State Department.