November 2, 2006

American Pilots Exhonerated?

It would appear so. For weeks the press here in Brazil has been jumping all over the two American pilots who were piloting the private jet that collided with a Gol airline, killing over 154 passenger. The pilots, who successfully landed their plane after the incident, had their passports seized and have been held in Rio since the incident for questioning.

The anti-American elements in the press have jumped all over this event, with articles with such headlines as "Brazil's Worst Air Accident Ever Reveals How Arrogant the US Can Be". Now, it would appear, the whole story is coming out:

Air controllers at fault in Brazil collision? - Americas - MSNBC.com

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - The flight recorder transcript from the executive jet involved in Brazil's worst air disaster shows its American pilots were told by air traffic control to fly at the same altitude as a Boeing 737 before the planes collided over the Amazon rainforest, a newspaper reported Thursday.

Pilot Joseph Lepore was told by the tower in Sao Jose dos Campos to maintain an altitude of 37,000 feet as he flew the jet beyond Brasilia on a northwest path to Manaus, the Folha de S. Paulo quoted the transcript as saying.

I am pleased that the truth has come out, not just for the sake of the two pilots and their families, but also because the last thing we need down here at this moment is something more to foment anti-American feeling--especially when it comes to effectiveness in ministry.

Posted by Andrew on November 2, 2006 9:19 PM.