US Pilots Joe Lepore and Jan Paladino Home Safe

[PositionandHold]

It was a very emotional time and great celebration seeing these two heroes come back home!

That's a bit overly sentimental considering they were involved in a crash that killed over 100 people.

"First please read the link below to the London Times Article about how they landed an airlplane that was literally coming apart on them with no where to land over a jungle with absolutly no help from ATC."

Losing a winglet isn't "literally coming apart on them." Unless I'm missing something. AL Haynes landed without hydraulics and an airplane turning in one direction. That's literally coming apart on you.

"and a very unfriendly country maybe you will rethink your statement."

Brazil isn't inherently unfriendly. They're much more friendly than a lot of my fellow countrymen. Can you imagine what we in the U.S. would have done had some Brazilian test pilots collided with a 737 on U.S. Soil? I'll tell you one thing, we wouldn't be keeping them at some beach resort. They'd be in guantanamo (well maybe not guantanamo, but you get the point).

Let's just be reasonable, that's all.

How about piloting a crippled a/c into the jungle, maintaining composure and finding an remote military airport in the nick of time? Saved not only their own lives but those of several of their passengers. Sounds heroic to me.

Finding a remote field? Luck. Landing an airplane without a winglet and maybe some odd handling characteristics so as to not kill themselves? Human nature.

 

[CAL EWR B737]

That's a bit overly sentimental considering they were involved in a crash that killed over 100 people.

"First please read the link below to the London Times Article about how they landed an airlplane that was literally coming apart on them with no where to land over a jungle with absolutly no help from ATC."

Losing a winglet isn't "literally coming apart on them." Unless I'm missing something. AL Haynes landed without hydraulics and an airplane turning in one direction. That's literally coming apart on you.

"and a very unfriendly country maybe you will rethink your statement."

Brazil isn't inherently unfriendly. They're much more friendly than a lot of my fellow countrymen. Can you imagine what we in the U.S. would have done had some Brazilian test pilots collided with a 737 on U.S. Soil? I'll tell you one thing, we wouldn't be keeping them at some beach resort. They'd be in guantanamo.

Let's just be reasonable, that's all.

It's my understanding that it wasn't just losing a winglet. It's my understanding the rivets were flying off and there was a chance of structural failure.

No where ever did I state that the loss of 154 lives aboard the GOL 737-800 wasn't shear tragic. However if not for Joe and Jan's handling of their troubled craft than seven more people would have died. Doesn't make it any less tragic for the loss of life on the 737.
I disagree completely if it happened in the US due to unintentional human error than no they would not be in Guantanamo.

Absolutely zero fault lies with Joe and Jan. The fault lies with Brazilian ATC. However it was unintentional human error on their part compounded by inadequate equipment and working environment to properly do their jobs.

 

[CAL EWR B737]

Not to take anything away from Captain AL Haynes (in my book he surely is a hero also) but he didn't actually land the DC-10. The instructor in the jumpseat was running the throttles and thus actually flying the aircraft. Captain Hynes showed incredible judgement in allowing the most qualified in this scenario to actually land the aircraft the sign of remarkable captain and leadership.