John Baeyens

You’ve probably followed the events of the GOL flight 1907 which crashed over the Amazon killing all the 154 passengers.  The both American pilots of the Legacy Jet can still not leave the country.  They have been literally doomed in the Brazilian press and every Brazilian citizen is convinced the two American pilots with their expensive toy should be crucified.

The Legacy was flying at 37.000 feet, the same height as the GOL Boeing and was supposed to lower to 36.000 feet in its course; which it didn’t.  The Brazilian air traffic control says it tried to get in contact 7 times to warn the pilots to lower to 36.000 feet.  Foor a reason, the transponder didn’t work or was shut off which is why the anti-collision didn’t function.

The arguments of all Brazilians are that the American pilots

(1) Didn’t respond radio contact of the air traffic control in Brazilia
(2) Shut down the transponder themselves so that they could freely play with the plane

The reality is that:

(1) This week the disk with the voice recordings with the Lagacy pilots and the air traffic control was found.  Defense refuses to release it to the military police.  Why?  Because highly probable the pilots did had contact with air traffic, but with a huge interference and with air traffic control speaking Portuguese.  Yes, I know, even in Bolivia air traffic control talks in English, but here in Brazil with the not-made-here factor they 90% of air traffic control can hardly speak a decent word of English.
(2) For whatever reason the transponder didn’t work, it was the obligation of the pilots to remain on their 37.000 feet altitude and the job of air traffic control to divert the approaching Boeing with whom they had contact to another route.  Simple logic to any human being and also a basic of international air traffic regulation only Brazilian air traffic control seems not to know their basics.

The director of Infraero is already seeking refuge by complaining he doesn’t have enough people and that he dismissed 8 of the air traffic controllers who were on duty then.  The truly sad thing about Brazil is that as much as they crucified the Legacy pilots previously there is not a word on the so obvious true that the only one to blame for the crash is Brazil themselves.   Would be so much class if they would at least take the blame; but trust me, we will never have an official complete version; all will go up in fog.  It’s the one thing which is hard to get used to for me reciprocity and fairness are no words and facts in the Brazilian daily way of life.  

That being said, I hope both US pilots can go back home to their wifes and kids while the Infraer director keeps filling his pockets and hiding in the mist the government will keep around the case.