TAM Airlines A320-200 hits TAM Building

[Loh Wilson 0]

July 21, 2007

 

Brazil Lula tries to blunt crash criticism

By Raymond Colitt

 

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's president pledged a thorough investigation into the plane crash that killed as many as 200 people in a televised address Friday that aimed to blunt criticism of his response to the country's deadliest aviation accident.

 

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's appearance, the first since the crash on Tuesday, followed a flurry of complaints that Lula had been absent since the disaster to avoid jeopardizing his high approval ratings.

 

Workers lift onto a truck a section of a TAM airlines Airbus A320 that slid off the runway of Congonhas airport and into a building before it exploded in fire, in Sao Paulo July 18, 2007. (REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker)

"Let our affection and solidarity help to alleviate the irreparable pain" of relatives and friends of those who died, Lula said. "The government is and will be doing all that is possible and impossible to find the causes of the accident."

 

Despite his warm words, Lula looked stiff and lacking the usual charisma that have made him one of Brazil's most popular presidents ever.

 

Earlier, a close adviser was filmed apparently celebrating reports suggesting the crash was caused by a mechanical error and not government negligence during a long-running aviation crisis.

 

Lula spoke after the focus of the investigation shifted from a faulty runway that could imply government responsibility to potential pilot error or mechanical failure.

 

Since the crash of an Airbus A320 at Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport, Brazilians have been clamoring for explanations and someone to take responsibility for the country's second major aviation accident in 10 months.

 

Lula, elected to a second term last year, had not made a public appearance or visited the crash site, unlike his longtime political rival, Sao Paulo state Gov. Jose Serra, who comforted mourning family members.

 

Marco Aurelio Garcia, a foreign policy adviser to the president, was shown on national television on Thursday making obscene gestures after news that pointed to problems with the braking system of the doomed A320.

 

Garcia apologized, saying it was his private expression of indignation at attempts to blame the government for the crash.

 

The opposition Brazilian Social Democracy Party said Garcia's gesture was "an offense to the Brazilian people."

 

BLUNDERS

 

The incident is the latest in a series of apparent blunders by members of Lula's Cabinet in the country's aviation crisis, which has seen chronic delays and flight cancellations.

 

Finance Minister Guido Mantega has tried to put a positive spin on the crisis, calling it a byproduct of Brazil's improving economy, and Tourism Minister Marta Suplicy said irritated travelers should "relax and enjoy."

 

Lula has a history of retreating at difficult times. During a previous aviation crisis that disrupted air travel at the end of last year, he took a beach vacation.

 

When he was booed during the opening ceremony of the Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro last Friday, he scrapped plans for a widely expected speech inaugurating the games.

 

The government announced measures on Friday to help reduce air traffic at the domestic Congonhas airport, including restrictions on charter flights and stopovers. It will ban new international routes to Sao Paulo and reroute flights from Congonhas to the city's international airport, Guarulhos.

 

Lula acknowledged Congonhas was overloaded and the air sector was "going through difficulties," but said Brazil's air travel safety was compatible with international standards.

 

The government also said it was studying the construction of a new airport in the greater Sao Paulo area.

 

TAM Linhas Aereas said late on Thursday the doomed aircraft had been flying without one of its thrust reversers, which help slow the plane at landing. But the company said the device, which was turned off after a malfunction last week, was not essential to safe landing.

 

TAM's chief executive, Marco Antonio Bologna, had said on Wednesday the aircraft was in perfect condition.

 

TAM initially said 186 people were on the flight but revised the figure on Friday to 187.

 

An Airbus spokeswoman in France said an A320 could fly for up to 10 days with a broken thrust reverser. Aviation experts say the device is complementary but not necessary to braking and that it is usually safe to fly without it.

 

(Additional reporting by Isabel Versiani in Brasilia and Tim Hepher in Paris and Andrei Khalip in Rio de Janeiro)

 

WOOOOOT ~~

 

here is the Sauce

[Pieter C. 5]

Delays, cancellations still rampant in Brazil; future CGH operations to be restricted

 

Wednesday July 25, 2007

Flight delays and cancellations continue to be pervasive throughout Brazil, particularly at Sao Paulo Congonhas, where the main runway has been closed since last week's TAM A320 crash and major restrictions on future operations are being mandated by the government.

 

Brazilian national airport authority Infraero said 58% of all scheduled domestic flights in the country were cancelled (20%) or delayed at least 1 hr. Monday. At CGH, 60% of flights were cancelled and plans to reopen the main runway were postponed until at least next week.

 

According to TAM CFO Libano Miranda Barroso, speaking in a conference call yesterday, the government has informed airlines that connecting flights, charter flights and corporate/general aviation flights all will be banned at CGH within 60 days. The airport, Brazil's busiest prior to last week's accident, will be restricted to point-to-point flights under 2 hr. flying time, he said. It will be allowed to handle just 33 flights per hr., down from 46 prior to the accident and a high of 62 earlier this decade, he added.

 

A portion of TAM flights will be reallocated to other airports, he said, with domestic operations going primarily to Sao Paulo Guarulhos and international flights to Rio de Janeiro. A third Sao Paulo airport will be built, according to Barroso, with a site to be chosen within 90 days. He said A320s and 737NGs "will be able to continue operating into Congonhas," but added that belly cargo may be restricted.

 

He said TAM's executives are in a state of "sorrow" and are working to meet the needs of victims' families as they await results of the ongoing investigation. "What we can assure you of is that the [flight] crew. . .were a seasoned crew," he said, adding that the A320 entered TAM's fleet in December 2006 and "was in perfect condition." Maintenance on the aircraft was in "full compliance with Airbus manuals and according to Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency standards," he stressed

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Brazil defense minister/ATC head fired; Gol tells passengers to avoid flying

 

Thursday July 26, 2007

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva yesterday fired Defense Minister Waldir Pires, who oversaw the country's military-operated ATC system, while extensive flight delays and cancellations showed no signs of abating as the nation attempted to recover from last week's fatal TAM A320 crash.

 

Former Supreme Court President Nelson Jobim was named the new defense chief and will be charged with bringing some semblance of normalcy back to Brazil's air traffic system, which has been beset by delays since last September's Gol 737 crash and has been so ineffective in the aftermath of last week's accident at Sao Paulo Congonhas that Gol yesterday told passengers to stay away from airports and avoid flying until next week at the earliest.

 

More than half of the country's domestic flights have been delayed or cancelled each of the last three days and thousands of passengers reportedly are stranded at airports throughout Brazil. The government yesterday mandated that airlines cease all ticket sales for flights to or from CGH, with no timetable set for a resumption of sales at the nation's busiest airport.

 

The death toll from last week's crash officially now is 199, comprising all 187 passengers and crew aboard the flight and 12 people on the ground. The A320 skidded off the main runway, which remains closed, and slammed into a building in the worst air disaster in Brazil's history, surpassing last year's Gol accident that killed more than 150 passengers and crew.

 

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Congonhas main runway reopens as Brazil's president admits 'I'm afraid' to fly

 

Monday July 30, 2007

New Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim, in charge of reforming the country's troubled air traffic system, inspected the main runway at Sao Paulo Congonhas Friday and cleared its reopening 10 days after the fatal TAM A320 crash that killed 199 people.

 

Jobim took charge of the military-run ATC system last week in the aftermath of the accident and as thousands of passengers were stranded at airports plagued by rampant flight delays and cancellations.

 

With the country's two worst-ever air disasters occurring in a span of 10 months, Brazilian officials are scrambling to restore public confidence in air travel. But in an extraordinary public admission during Jobim's swearing-in ceremony last week, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva confessed that he fears for his life when flying under the current conditions.

 

"It's no secret to any Brazilian that we have an aviation crisis," he said. "Personally, when the airplane door closes, I deliver myself to God. Even with my luck in the hands of God, I confess I'm afraid. I confess this publicly because I am not embarrassed to say we are afraid." Silva vowed to "do what has to be done and spend what has to be spent" to make air travel safe in Brazil.

 

Jobim said safety would be his top priority and passenger amenities at airports will take a back seat. "If discomfort is the price of safety, we will stick with discomfort," he said. Referring to complaints from air traffic controllers that have escalated into several temporary work actions disrupting air traffic in Brazil over the past 10 months, he insisted he will take a no-nonsense approach. When he issues orders for reforms, he said, he will tell controllers and other aviation officials: "Act or leave. Do it or get out."

 

[Naim 6]

Throttle error likely in Brazil air crash: probe

 

August 2, 2007 - 6:07AM

 

A lever to control engine speed was in the wrong position and probably a major cause of Brazil's worst air accident last month, according to flight recorder data cited by a newspaper today.

 

An Airbus A320 operated by Brazilian carrier TAM Linhas Aereas barrelled off the wet runway upon landing at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo on July 17, crashed into a cargo terminal and burst into flames. All 187 people aboard and at least 12 more on the ground were killed.

 

Data from the flight recorder suggests that the thrust lever for one of the turbines was in the "accelerate" position when it should have been switched to idle, Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper reported.

 

The newspaper said a pilot error was likely but didn't rule out a failure of the aircraft's computer.

 

If confirmed, the report could cast doubt on speculation that a slippery runway may have been a major cause of the accident. Aviation authorities were criticised for opening a recently repaved runway without grooves that allow rainwater to drain more quickly and help avoid skidding.

 

One of the aircraft's thrust reversers, which are used to help brake, was inoperative, TAM had previously said. In that case, both throttle levers should have been in the "idle" position during landing approach and in the "full reverse" position on the runway, Folha reported.

 

Airbus issued a safety advisory to its customers last week stressing the need for pilots to follow proper landing procedures when a thrust reverser is not working.

 

A congressional probe into a continuing aviation crisis read out loud today the last 12 minutes of cockpit conversation, with awed viewers following the drama on national television.

 

The transcript showed the pilots were aware of the disabled thrust reverser but were unable to brake the plane.

 

"Reverse one only," "slow down, slow down," and "I can't, I can't," the pilots shouted. The last statements of the transcript were "Oh my God" and "oh, no."

 

The congressional committee decided to make public the cockpit transcript, but it examined the remaining data from the flight recorder in a closed-door session.

 

Aviation authorities are also investigating other possible causes of the accident, including a runway known to be slippery and other mechanical problems.

 

The union representing pilots and flight attendants cautioned on Tuesday against jumping to conclusions about the crash's cause.

 

"We need to let the professionals conclude the investigations, police are not qualified to do the job," Celio Eugenio de Abreu Jr, told Reuters.

 

Air travel in Brazil has been in chaos since 154 people were killed last September when a Boeing 737 clipped wings in midair with a private jet and crashed in the Amazon jungle.

 

Reuters

 

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/throttle-...648005284.html#

[Naim 6]

Another 'computer over-rule'?

 

+++

 

'Oh my God!': Pilots panicked in crash

 

From correspondents in Brasilia

 

August 02, 2007 09:07am

Article from: Agence France-Presse

 

PILOTS in Brazil's worst plane crash last month panicked, crying "Oh my God!, Oh my God!" as they desperately tried to slow down their jetliner on landing, according to transcripts from the plane's cockpit recorder released overnight.

 

The Airbus 320 belonging to Brazil's TAM airlines had a thrust reverser and its spoilers inoperable when it landed at Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport on July 17.

 

"Come on! Come on! Turn, turn, turn, turn!'' cried the co-pilot moments before a final utterance, "Oh no!,'' was heard.

 

Then the tape goes blank as the jetliner slams into a cargo building at 220km/h and explodes.

 

All 187 people aboard the plane were killed, along with at least 12 people on the ground.

 

The transcript from the black box recovered from the crash wreckage was released by a congressional committee investigating the accident.

 

The recording shows that control tower operators warned the pilots that the airport's notoriously short runway was "wet and slippery'' from a rainstorm.

 

In the recording the pilots report on the state of the aircraft braking mechanisms.

 

"Reverser one only,'' one of them says, referring to the sole working thrust reverser. The reverser is used to slow down the aircraft's jet engine upon landing.

 

"No spoiler,'' the voice says, talking about the lower lip of an aircraft's wings that are turned downward to catch the air slowing the aircraft, which was also inoperable.

 

Additional data obtained by Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper seems to show the pilot failed to put both jet engines in neutral on landing, leaving one in acceleration mode.

 

"The onboard electronics interpreted that manoeuvre as the pilot's wish to abort the landing,'' said the daily.

 

"Both jet engines then began accelerating automatically. The aerodynamic breaks (thrust reversers and spoilers) were not engaged and neither were the tires' breaks,'' it said.

 

 

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22175856-2,00.html#

[Radzi 2]

I'm not sure how to interpret Naim's posting as I've never flown any Airbus, let alone the modern sidestick ones.

 

But I'm sure glad to stay with my old school Boeing throttles.

[Pieter C. 5]

TAM A320 copilot: 'Spoilers nothing' and 'decelerate, decelerate'

 

Friday August 3, 2007

A Brazilian Congressional commission investigating last month's TAM A320 crash released a cockpit voice recorder transcript this week in which the pilots indicated they were unable to decelerate the aircraft owing to inoperable spoilers, while TAM said its ticket sales have plunged 30% since the accident.

 

The harrowing transcript reveals the copilot saying following touchdown at Sao Paulo Congonhas, "spoilers nothing" and "decelerate, decelerate," to which the captain responds, "it can't, it can't" and "oh my God, oh my God." The copilot then repeatedly yells, "turn, turn, turn" before the aircraft crashes into a building beyond the rain-slicked runway, killing all 187 passengers and crew aboard and 12 on the ground.

 

The crew noted shortly before landing that only one thrust reverser was activated. It previously had been revealed that one of the aircraft's thrust reversers had been deactivated days before the crash, a move that both the carrier and Airbus said was in accordance with maintenance procedures. The CGH control tower told the pilots on approach that the main runway was "wet and it is slippery."

 

TAM President Marco Antonio Bologna testified before the commission yesterday and said thrust reversers are "the last redundancy" in braking an aircraft. He warned that "any kind of conjecture [on the accident's cause] would be premature before the investigation has been wrapped up." He noted that TAM's sales have been hurt badly by the accident, with ticket purchases down significantly.

 

 

[Azmir I. 1]

TAM A320 copilot: 'Spoilers nothing' and 'decelerate, decelerate'

 

Friday August 3, 2007

A Brazilian Congressional commission investigating last month's TAM A320 crash released a cockpit voice recorder transcript this week in which the pilots indicated they were unable to decelerate the aircraft owing to inoperable spoilers, while TAM said its ticket sales have plunged 30% since the accident.

 

The harrowing transcript reveals the copilot saying following touchdown at Sao Paulo Congonhas, "spoilers nothing" and "decelerate, decelerate," to which the captain responds, "it can't, it can't" and "oh my God, oh my God." The copilot then repeatedly yells, "turn, turn, turn" before the aircraft crashes into a building beyond the rain-slicked runway, killing all 187 passengers and crew aboard and 12 on the ground.

 

The crew noted shortly before landing that only one thrust reverser was activated. It previously had been revealed that one of the aircraft's thrust reversers had been deactivated days before the crash, a move that both the carrier and Airbus said was in accordance with maintenance procedures. The CGH control tower told the pilots on approach that the main runway was "wet and it is slippery."

 

TAM President Marco Antonio Bologna testified before the commission yesterday and said thrust reversers are "the last redundancy" in braking an aircraft. He warned that "any kind of conjecture [on the accident's cause] would be premature before the investigation has been wrapped up." He noted that TAM's sales have been hurt badly by the accident, with ticket purchases down significantly.

The crashed airplane was in perfect condition except for the MEL on one of the reversers,this item was briefed by the PF,but on landing,one thrust lever was set to full reverse while the other was set in CLB position and was left until impact,because of the assymmetric thrust position,the spoilers as well as the autobrake wont work,the PNF should have reminded to PF to retard both thrust levers to flt idle than full reverse on both thrust levers as recommended by Airbus,because of that action cause the airplane to slow down late,aircrfat was in landing config at finals and stabilized (IAS 145kt),touched down in landing zone but no spoiler and autobrake activation,manual brake was initiated 11 secs after touchdown.sorry i nfo is restricted from Airbus.

[Radzi 2]

This is some info from another forum.

FROM : AIRBUS FLIGHT SAFETY DEPARTMENT TOULOUSE

>

> ACCIDENT INFORMATION TELEX - ACCIDENT INFORMATION TELEX

>

>

> TO : ALL AIRBUS OPERATORS / ATTN : FLIGHT SAFETY DEPARTMENT

>

> SUBJECT: TAM LINEAS AEREAS FLIGHT JJ3054 ACCIDENT IN SAO PAULO,

> BRAZIL

> Our ref.: TAM JJ3054 AIT 4 dated August 02nd 2007

> Previous ref: TAM JJ3054 AIT 3 dated July 24th 2007

>

> This AIT is an update of previous AIT n°3 concerning the A320 Tam Lineas Aereas

involved in an accident during landing phase at Sao Paulo Congonhas airport- Brazil

on the 17th of July 2007 at 06:30 PM local time.

>

> The data which follow have been approved for release by the Brazilian investigation

authorities.

>

> It is confirmed that the aircraft was dispatched with the Engine 2 thrust reverser

inoperative as authorized by the MEL.

>

> It is confirmed that the associated operational procedure of TAM MEL was updated

according to > current MMEL page 02-78 p1 SEQ 001 REV 29 which reminds the crew

to select both thrust levers to idle before touchdown and requires to select both

reversers at touchdown

>

> The following is the sequence of events according to the recorders:

>

> Final Approach phase:

> - The aircraft was approaching runway 35L.

> - The last wind information given to the crew by the ATC was 330°/8kts.

> - The runway condition given to the crew by the ATC was wet and slippery.

> - Landing configuration was established with Slats/Flaps fully extended,

gear down, ground spoilers armed, autobrake selected to MED.

> - Approach speed was 145 kts

> - The final approach was performed with Autopilot OFF - disconnected at

about 370 feet (radio-altitude), Flight Directors ON, Auto-Thrust (ATHR) ON.

> - The CM1 was the Pilot Flying.

> - The crew approach briefing included a reminder that only the left engine

thrust reverser was available.

>

> Flare and touch-down:

> - During the flare, the "RETARD" call-out has been normally triggered

> - The "RETARD" call-out has been triggered 3 times, ending at the selection

of the engine 1 reverser.

> - Before touchdown, the engine 1 throttle was retarded to idle.

> - The engine 2 throttle is recorded in the Climb position and remained in

this position to the end of recording.

> - Preliminary trajectory computation indicates that the aircraft landed in

the touch-down zone.

>

> Landing roll

> - Just after touch-down, idle reverse was selected on engine 1, followed

within 2 seconds by the selection of max reverse which was kept to the

end of recording.

> - Following reverser 1 selection, the ATHR disconnected as per design and

remained disconnected to the end of recording.

> - With the engine 2 throttle being in the Climb position: 1/ the engine 2

EPR remained at a value of approximately 1.2 corresponding to the EPR

at the time of ATHR disconnection; and 2/ the ground spoilers did not

deploy and the autobrake was not activated.

> - Maximum manual braking actions began 11 seconds after touch-down.

> - Rudder inputs and differential braking have been applied during the

landing roll.

> - The aircraft overran the runway at approximately 100 kts.

>

> DFDR and CVR data show no evidence of aircraft malfunction.

>

> At this stage of the investigation, and as already indicated in the

previous AIT n> °3, Airbus remind all operators to strictly comply with the

following procedures:

>

> A- During the flare at thrust reduction select ALL thrust levers to IDLE.

>

> B- For the use of the thrust reversers when landing with one Engine Reverser

inhibited refer to :

>

> - For A318/A319/A320/A321 MMEL 02-78 Page 1 Rev 29

> - For A310 MMEL 02-78 Page 1 Rev 17

> - For A300-600 MMEL 02-78 Page 1 Rev 15

> - For A330 MMEL 02-78 Page 1 Rev 17

> - For A340 200/300/500/600 MMEL 02-78 Page 1 Rev 19

>

> When appropriate, additional information about this event will be provided

through the normal Airbus to Operators communication channels.

>>

> Yannick MALINGE

> Vice President Flight Safety

> Airbus

[Pieter C. 5]

Are they looking for a black sheep ?

 

Brazil airport authority head fired as post-crash shakeup continues

 

Tuesday August 7, 2007

Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim announced yesterday that Jose Carlos Pereira, head of national airport authority Infraero, will be replaced by Space Agency President Sergio Mauricio Brito Gaudenzi effective immediately as the shakeup of the nation's aviation leadership continued in the aftermath of last month's TAM A320 crash.

 

Pereira becomes the second high-profile official to lose his job since the accident, following former Defense Minister Waldir Pires, who was replaced by Jobim as head of the ministry with oversight of Brazil's troubled air traffic system. Jobim has promised a no-nonsense approach and said that safety will be the top priority, indicating that too much attention and money was spent on passenger amenities at Brazilian airports while airside infrastructure languished.

 

Pereira gained notice following the TAM crash by saying that accident and one involving a Gol 737 last year were "totally unrelated" and dismissing suggestions that Brazil needed international assistance to fix its ATC problems. "Let [other nations] worry about their airspace and we will worry about ours," he told reporters.

 

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Result of the crash last month ?

 

TAM Posts First Loss In Two Years

 

August 13, 2007

Brazil's TAM Linhas Aereas posted its first quarterly loss in almost two years as costs surged and passenger load factor declined.

 

TAM reported a second-quarter loss of BRR28.64 million reais (USD$14.69 million), compared with a revised profit of BRR133.69 million reais a year earlier.

 

It was the first loss for TAM after seven straight profitable quarters and followed months of chaos in Brazil's aviation system, which has forced airlines to repeatedly delay and cancel flights.

 

The earnings report was the first since a TAM flight crashed on July 17 at Sao Paulo's Congonhas Airport, killing all 187 people on board and 12 on the ground. It was the worst air crash in Brazilian history.

 

A sharp increase in operating costs weighed on TAM's bottom line in the second quarter, offsetting a 13.7 percent jump in net revenue. Overall costs rose 28.5 percent to BRR1.94 billion reais, driven up by a 26.2 percent jump in fuel prices and a 50.7 percent increase in spending on personnel.

 

Load factor slipped to 72.3 percent on domestic flights from 75 percent a year earlier, even as demand rose sharply. Load factor on international flights also fell, dropping to 69 percent from 74.6 percent.

 

On the operating level, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, a measure of cash flow known as EBITDA, fell 76 percent to BRR60 million reais from BRR249.9 million reais in the second quarter of 2006.

 

TAM's domestic market share averaged 49.6 percent in the second quarter, outpacing its closest rival, low-cost carrier Gol Linhas Aereas. TAM boosted its market share to 50.6 percent by the end of July.

 

(Reuters)

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Brazil Crash Report Blames Govt. Agencies

 

November 17, 2008

A 16 month investigation into Brazil's worst airline accident that killed 199 people places most blame on government agencies for failing to ensure runway safety and could lead to criminal charges against officials, Brazilian media reported.

 

The report by the Sao Paulo Institute of Criminology into the July 2007 accident at Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport will be delivered to state prosecutors.

 

All 187 people on board and 12 people on the ground died when the TAM Airbus A320 skidded in heavy rain off a surface that had been repaved the previous month. Officials had tried to ban large jets from landing there but were unsuccessful.

 

The crash highlighted persistent safety concerns about the short, slick runways at Sao Paulo's domestic airport, which sits in the middle of South America's largest city.

 

The new surface had not been grooved to drain rainwater, prompting criticism that the airport was reopened prematurely because it is so important to Brazil's economy.

 

The report, details of which were published late on Friday on Brazilian newspaper Internet sites, blamed Infraero, the government body responsible for airport infrastructure, for failing to ensure adequate drainage on the runway.

 

It also blamed the National Civil Aviation Agency for not setting stricter rules for aircraft landing in the rain.

 

"The accident was caused by various omissions and negligence by the National Civil Aviation Agency, Infraero, the airline company and the aircraft manufacturer," public prosecutor Mario Luiz Sarrubbo told Globo television.

 

The report also blamed Airbus for not making obligatory an alarm warning about incorrect positioning of the aircraft's thruster controls.

 

The botched landing was partly due to the thrusters being on opposite settings, which the report said was due to pilot error and lack of training by TAM.

 

Brazil's public prosecution office was considering charges against 10 officials, Globo said.

 

Media reported TAM had asked for a suspension of the prosecution process until it was decided whether the case would be heard at the federal or state level.

 

(Reuters)

 

[Pieter C. 5]

Brazil Charges Officials, Airline In Air Crash

 

November 20, 2008

Police in Brazil charged 10 people on Wednesday, including former government officials, for contributing to the country's worst airline accident, which killed 199 people last year.

 

All 187 people on board and 12 people on the ground died when the TAM Airbus A320 overshot a recently repaved runway at Sao Paulo's Congonhas Airport in July of 2007.

 

Those criminally charged include the former head of the national aviation authority (ANAC), Milton Zuanazzi, as well as officials at TAM and at the airport authority Infraero.

 

They are all accused of violating national aviation security and could face prison terms of up to 6 years.

 

"The report points to people who actively or passively are responsible for this damage," said detective Antonio Carlos Menezes Barbosa, who chaired the police investigation.

 

The aircraft had sped off a rain-soaked runway across a busy road and burst into a ball of fire when it crashed into a warehouse.

 

Official audits said the botched landing was partly due to an incorrect positioning of the plane's thruster controls, which they blamed on pilot error and lack of training by TAM.

 

But the police said on Wednesday that government and airline officials had contributed to the cause of the accident by failing to observe a series of security procedures.

 

The runway had not yet been properly grooved and should not have been used during rain, police said.

 

"That aircraft should have been diverted to another airport," Barbosa said.

 

The police report also blamed Airbus for not making obligatory an alarm warning about incorrect positioning of the aircraft's thruster controls.

 

Police were still working to identify responsible officials at Airbus, as Brazilian legislation does not allow for criminal charges against companies, Barbosa said.

 

TAM said it would not comment on the charges.

 

A lawyer for one of the charged former ANAC directors said the police accusations lacked evidence.

 

(Reuters)