FlyerJosh

Here's an expanded article. Still trying to determine if the reports that they have been allowed to return to the US are true.

This is 100% proof positive evidence that Brazil is no better than a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, and I challenge Robert (or any other person) to disprove that statement. Even if the same charges brought against BRAZILIAN CITIZENS (which they never will be), it still wouldn't change my opinion of the circus down there.

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Two U.S. pilots charged over Brazil plane crash By Todd Benson
54 minutes ago

SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazilian police on Friday charged two U.S. pilots with endangering air safety in the crash of a Brazilian airliner over the Amazon rain forest in which all 154 people on board were killed.

Joseph Lepore, 42, and Jan Paladino, 34, both of New York state, were at the controls of a small executive jet which clipped wings with the Boeing 737 operated by Brazilian airline Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes as they flew between Brasilia and Manaus on Sep. 29.

The Legacy executive jet, owned by ExcelAire, an aircraft charter company based in Ronkonkoma, New York, landed safely but the Boeing plunged to the ground, killing all 154 people aboard. It was Brazil's worst ever air disaster.

The two pilots had been prevented from leaving Brazil since the crash. They were charged when they appeared at a federal police headquarters in Sao Paulo on Friday to make a statement, a police spokesman said. The charges carry a maximum sentence of four years imprisonment, he added.

The pilots have denied any responsibility for the crash.

Despite the charge, local media said the pilots were expected to be allowed to return home to the United States on Friday after their enforced stay at a Rio de Janeiro hotel following the confiscation of their passports.

Their plight caused a wave of protest from U.S. pilots' associations, who urged Brazilian authorities to conduct the investigation under widely accepted international guidelines for civil aviation and not as a criminal probe.

While officials and the Brazilian media were quick to accuse the U.S. pilots in the first few weeks after the crash, media attention has recently shifted toward air traffic controllers, who complain of an excessive workload, low pay and blind spots in radar coverage.

Investigators still have to find out why collision avoidance equipment did not work and why the two planes were flying toward each other at the same altitude of 37,000 feet .

NE_Pilot

I think the real question is: Does he have any experience piloting an aircraft at all? Because from what he is saying, it does not sound like it at all.

CactusCrew

EXACTLY the point !

CargoBob

I left a large turd in the toilet and did not flush...that will show 'em!!!

jetblaster

The boycott of Brazil has just begun. Any pilot who accepts a flight to Brazil as of this moment also accepts the FACT that the Brazilians can and will hold you indefinitely--and throw you in prison--for any aviation-related infraction, even if it is unintentional.

And...you accept this condition...why?

Jetblaster

mike734

Not a good situation but I've got news for you, the US authorities can do this to you also. No more Hebeas Corpus if the Prez says so. Watch the video:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/1...-are-lies-sir/

PS. I know it's not the same situation. Let's all write to our representatives and get those guys out of there.

FlyerJosh

The good news is that they are back in the US. Arrived late last night and will sleep tonight in their own beds/homes.

B757200ER

That's good news; home for the holidays.

I've lost a great deal of respect for Brazil as a civilized, diplomatic and honest country. They are no more than a corrupt, backwards, third-world, dishonest, disorganized and propaganda-spewing terrirtory. Their media, their government and their miltary (not to mention their ATC) are disreputable, incompetent and biased. The country has violated ICAO rules of int'l aviation regarding accidents, and their criminalization of this accident is misguided, corruption-filled and obviously searching for a scapegoat. They need to look no further than their own military ATC system and their own government to find where the REAL blame lies.

Brazilians should be ashamed of their government, their miltary and their obviously FATALLY-flawed ATC system. Absolutely, totally ridiculous. Their treatment of these 2 pilots should not go unpunished. This lawless country should get NO financial or economic aid from any civilized country whatsoever.

Sideshow Bob

Virtually all of SA is headed for a Cuba style socialist/bananna republic portolet. Hugo Chavez who is aligning with the ChiComs will infect the rest within 20 years and it will be Cold War II (this time with the PRC) leading to a showdown over territory and resources just like last time (unless CIA/NSA are able to whack him soon). The only bright spot is that ultimately the CHiComs will have to deal with their own Islamofascist problems and we will have a marriage of convenience to eradicate those cockroaches once and for all. Afterall our military/industrial complex has to have a villian <g>.

In the meantime, on the cargo side at least it is apparent that SA isn't morphing into the China-style sweatshop market they thought it would...for now at least.

jrmyl

I agree totally with you. My wife is Brazilian and she has been saying this exact stuff for the 6 years that I have known her. This is why she left that country. She says the judges are all corrupt as well. The president, Lula, is nothing more than a land squatting corrupt politician. Her father actually had a run-in with him when he was a union leader back in the 70's. She says that he eats rice, beans and fried eggs. (She says that is what poor people eat in Brazil). The poor people started to like him in the 80's when he started taking land from the landowners and giving to the poor. He would tell the poor people to just go and build a shack on the land and it is theirs. This is the type of corruption we are dealing with down there.