Local media tries to claim that pilot error was responsible for the airplane crash that killed nearly 200 people in Sao Paulo last week.
The news magazine VEJA said that a short runway and a constricted area that gave little room for victims to escape contributeds.
The Brazilian air force said no conclusion had been reached.
It labelled as "premature and unfortunate" any conclusion about the accident, "as long as the investigations are ongoing."
On July 17, a TAM airline Airbus 320 carrying 187 people overran the runway, crossed a road and slammed into an airport building.
The left turbine was thrust in reverse and was helping the airplane slow down, the right one was accelerating.
Key information has been obtained from the airplane's black boxes.
The runway, which had been closed has now reopened Friday.
2007/07/25
Brazil's Defense Minister Ousted
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fired his defense minister heeding calls for the removal of top aviation officials after nearly 200 people were killed last week.
Waldir Pires was forced out as defense minister. Nelson Jobim, a retired Supreme Court judge and former justice minister with close ties to Lula, replaced Pires.
Lula, who has been criticized for being slow in reacting to crises.
Jobim told reporters after taking office that he would decide by the weekend whether to replace officials at the airports authority, Infraero.
Jobim will have free rein to do what it takes to fix the ailing aviation system.
"We are going to do what has to be done ... and spend what has to be spent," the president said at Jobim's swearing-in ceremony.
Yet airport chaos continues.
Air traffic controllers have held work slowdowns to protest outdated radar and radio equipment and poor salaries.
The crisis deepened when the radar outage forced flights to change course, causing delays. Weather and a runway problem in Sao Paulo have added to the woe.
More than half of all flights in the country were delayed or canceled on Wednesday for the fourth straight day.
To reduce the delays and cancellations, Brazil's aviation authority temporarily suspended ticket sales for flights to and from Congonha.
Waldir Pires was forced out as defense minister. Nelson Jobim, a retired Supreme Court judge and former justice minister with close ties to Lula, replaced Pires.
Lula, who has been criticized for being slow in reacting to crises.
Jobim told reporters after taking office that he would decide by the weekend whether to replace officials at the airports authority, Infraero.
Jobim will have free rein to do what it takes to fix the ailing aviation system.
"We are going to do what has to be done ... and spend what has to be spent," the president said at Jobim's swearing-in ceremony.
Yet airport chaos continues.
Air traffic controllers have held work slowdowns to protest outdated radar and radio equipment and poor salaries.
The crisis deepened when the radar outage forced flights to change course, causing delays. Weather and a runway problem in Sao Paulo have added to the woe.
More than half of all flights in the country were delayed or canceled on Wednesday for the fourth straight day.
To reduce the delays and cancellations, Brazil's aviation authority temporarily suspended ticket sales for flights to and from Congonha.
2007/07/23
Brazil Air Chaos
Stranding passengers got a taste of Brazil.
Political cronyism to chronic underfunding in Brazil's aviation system are considered as possible contributors to two major air disasters in less than a year––followed by a major radar failure over the Amazon.
For about three hours, air traffic controllers closed Brazilian air space.
An Airbus 320 operated by TAM Airlines crashed Tuesday at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo, killing all 187 people aboard and at least four on the ground. Jorge Botelho, president of Brazil's union representing air traffic controllers, on Sunday ridiculed the possibility of sabotage. He said that the government wants to blame the controllers to avoid responsibility for systemic air safety problems.
Brazilians have been suffering flight delays and cancellations since September, when a Gol Airlines Boeing 737 collided with an executive jet and crashed in the Amazon rainforest killing 154 people. Four air traffic controllers and the executive jet's two American pilots, face criminal charges.
The accident touched off months of delays and canceled flights, as air traffic controllers held work slowdowns and stoppages to protest precarious conditions.
Brazil's airports are seriously underfunded and stretched to the limit.
"There have been warnings, warnings, warnings about the need to do something about the communications systems, about the runways," Brazilian aviation consultant Elias Gedeon said. "The government didn't understand the importance of this. This is very bad for Brazil."
Problems stretch back at least five years. Spending on aviation safety has averaged about $250 million a year since Silva took office in 2003, half of what was spent in 2002.
That the government has doled out top aviation posts to political appointees with little or no expertise in the field. The government spent millions to renovate the terminal at Congonhas airport. Tarmac improvements were saved for last and the runway was reopened before the renovation could be completed.
On Sunday, Amaury Guedes, a 72-year-old retired flight attendant, summed up the feelings of many Brazilians. "It was a tragedy waiting to happen because the planes kept growing, the wide bodies, and the runways were never extended to handle them," Guedes said. "There are just too many passengers, and infrastructure hasn't kept up with the growth."
Political cronyism to chronic underfunding in Brazil's aviation system are considered as possible contributors to two major air disasters in less than a year––followed by a major radar failure over the Amazon.
For about three hours, air traffic controllers closed Brazilian air space.
An Airbus 320 operated by TAM Airlines crashed Tuesday at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo, killing all 187 people aboard and at least four on the ground. Jorge Botelho, president of Brazil's union representing air traffic controllers, on Sunday ridiculed the possibility of sabotage. He said that the government wants to blame the controllers to avoid responsibility for systemic air safety problems.
Brazilians have been suffering flight delays and cancellations since September, when a Gol Airlines Boeing 737 collided with an executive jet and crashed in the Amazon rainforest killing 154 people. Four air traffic controllers and the executive jet's two American pilots, face criminal charges.
The accident touched off months of delays and canceled flights, as air traffic controllers held work slowdowns and stoppages to protest precarious conditions.
Brazil's airports are seriously underfunded and stretched to the limit.
"There have been warnings, warnings, warnings about the need to do something about the communications systems, about the runways," Brazilian aviation consultant Elias Gedeon said. "The government didn't understand the importance of this. This is very bad for Brazil."
Problems stretch back at least five years. Spending on aviation safety has averaged about $250 million a year since Silva took office in 2003, half of what was spent in 2002.
That the government has doled out top aviation posts to political appointees with little or no expertise in the field. The government spent millions to renovate the terminal at Congonhas airport. Tarmac improvements were saved for last and the runway was reopened before the renovation could be completed.
On Sunday, Amaury Guedes, a 72-year-old retired flight attendant, summed up the feelings of many Brazilians. "It was a tragedy waiting to happen because the planes kept growing, the wide bodies, and the runways were never extended to handle them," Guedes said. "There are just too many passengers, and infrastructure hasn't kept up with the growth."
2007/07/22
Radar Failure in Brazil
A radar outage from 11:15 p.m. Friday to 2:30 a.m. Saturday, caused by an electrical problem, forced planes heading to Brazil to return to their points of origin and make unscheduled landings.
The nation has had chronic problems with delays and cancellations on domestic flights over the past 10 months but this is the first radar outage.
Sao Paulo's Mayor Gilberto Kassab said that building a new airport could take between five and 10 years and is not a priority.
Officials mistakenly sent part of the plane's fuselage to the United States, thinking it was the flight recorder.
The real flight recorder had been located and would be sent to Washington for analysis.
The radar outage occurred when a short circuit cut off electricity during routine maintenance in the jungle city of Manaus. Power was restored by 1:30 a.m. Radar coverage was working again an hour later.
The ailing industry has not recovered from months of work slowdowns by air traffic controllers protesting precarious working conditions. holes in the country's radar coverage, antiquated equipment and flight controllers with only rudimentary knowledge of English.
The nation has had chronic problems with delays and cancellations on domestic flights over the past 10 months but this is the first radar outage.
Sao Paulo's Mayor Gilberto Kassab said that building a new airport could take between five and 10 years and is not a priority.
Officials mistakenly sent part of the plane's fuselage to the United States, thinking it was the flight recorder.
The real flight recorder had been located and would be sent to Washington for analysis.
The radar outage occurred when a short circuit cut off electricity during routine maintenance in the jungle city of Manaus. Power was restored by 1:30 a.m. Radar coverage was working again an hour later.
The ailing industry has not recovered from months of work slowdowns by air traffic controllers protesting precarious working conditions. holes in the country's radar coverage, antiquated equipment and flight controllers with only rudimentary knowledge of English.
2007/07/21
Brazil's TAM admits brakes not working
Brazilian airline TAM admitted one of the thrust reversers on the Airbus A320 that crashed at San Paulo was not operating.
Its right braking system was deactivated in accordance with the Airbus manufacturer specifications approved by the Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac). There were problems with the brake days before the disaster.
Brazil's Air Force Accident Investigation and Prevention chief Jorge Kersul said any aircraft can land properly without using the reverse brake. The reverse brake is only an additional instrument to help the plane stop.
Specialists said that if the airport's runway is wet, it is difficult to land without using the reverse brake.
The investigation will last some ten months.
Its right braking system was deactivated in accordance with the Airbus manufacturer specifications approved by the Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac). There were problems with the brake days before the disaster.
Brazil's Air Force Accident Investigation and Prevention chief Jorge Kersul said any aircraft can land properly without using the reverse brake. The reverse brake is only an additional instrument to help the plane stop.
Specialists said that if the airport's runway is wet, it is difficult to land without using the reverse brake.
The investigation will last some ten months.
Brazil's Aviation Crisis Continues
Radar failure over the Amazon forced Brazil to turn back and ground international flights yesterday.
Authorities mistook a piece of the fuselage from the accident for the flight recorder.
The loss of radar from 11:15 p.m. Friday to 2:30 a.m. yesterday caused planes s to return to their points of origin or make unscheduled landings.
A short circuit turned off electricity during routine maintenance. When power went out, 17 flights were within the coverage area. Nine planes continued to their destinations, and eight were rerouted. None were in danger.
"This is total chaos. I have never seen anything like it, and it makes me feel very unsafe,"
The radar problem prompted American Airlines to divert 13 Brazil-bound planes.
Delta Airlines said six of its flights were also diverted.
Jose dos Santos, a 43-year-old cafe owner, was aboard a cancelled flight when the crew announced Brazil was not letting airplanes enter its airspace because of the radar failure. "I was saying, 'Oh, my God, my life is over!' I was in a panic, all I could think about was the Gol jet that crashed in the Amazon last year," Santos said,
Four United Airlines flights were also canceled.
The flight cancellations and diversions followed a nationally televised speech by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Authorities plan to build a new airport in Sao Paulo, where an Airbus A320 operated by TAM Airlines crashed Tuesday, killing 191 people.
Authorities mistook a piece of the fuselage from the accident for the flight recorder.
The loss of radar from 11:15 p.m. Friday to 2:30 a.m. yesterday caused planes s to return to their points of origin or make unscheduled landings.
A short circuit turned off electricity during routine maintenance. When power went out, 17 flights were within the coverage area. Nine planes continued to their destinations, and eight were rerouted. None were in danger.
"This is total chaos. I have never seen anything like it, and it makes me feel very unsafe,"
The radar problem prompted American Airlines to divert 13 Brazil-bound planes.
Delta Airlines said six of its flights were also diverted.
Jose dos Santos, a 43-year-old cafe owner, was aboard a cancelled flight when the crew announced Brazil was not letting airplanes enter its airspace because of the radar failure. "I was saying, 'Oh, my God, my life is over!' I was in a panic, all I could think about was the Gol jet that crashed in the Amazon last year," Santos said,
Four United Airlines flights were also canceled.
The flight cancellations and diversions followed a nationally televised speech by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Authorities plan to build a new airport in Sao Paulo, where an Airbus A320 operated by TAM Airlines crashed Tuesday, killing 191 people.
2007/07/19
Could it be the brakes?
SAO PAULO Widespread claims of a faulty runway, potential pilot error or failure of the plane's brakes? That is the question
Many officials and aviation experts blamed the rain-soaked runway where the plane skidded before crashing and exploding.
A video of the landing suggests other factors.
Footage shows the TAM Linhas Aereas plane accelerating instead of braking. Speculation is that the pilot was trying to lift off again.
"The government will try to convince public opinion that the runway at Congonhas is not at fault," said Elnio Borges, president of the Varig Pilots' Association. "They're going to do everything they can to blame the pilot."
Only 18 bodies have been identified. Four badly injured victims died in hospitals. At the TAM cargo building hit by the plane, eight people are missing.
The landing strip had not been grooved to drain rainwater.
"Why was Congonhas reopened in that state?" asked Paulo Sampaio, an aviation consultant at Multiplan Consultora in Rio de Janeiro. "It's a crime."
Infraero's Pereira said "We have to clarify why the plane accelerated again," he added. "Only the black box can tell us that."
Air traffic controllers, fearing to be made scapegoats for that accident, have staged periodic work slowdowns to protest against deficient radar and radio equipment poor pay and hours. Delays and cancellations are routine. Passengers occasionally storm the airfields.
Many officials and aviation experts blamed the rain-soaked runway where the plane skidded before crashing and exploding.
A video of the landing suggests other factors.
Footage shows the TAM Linhas Aereas plane accelerating instead of braking. Speculation is that the pilot was trying to lift off again.
"The government will try to convince public opinion that the runway at Congonhas is not at fault," said Elnio Borges, president of the Varig Pilots' Association. "They're going to do everything they can to blame the pilot."
Only 18 bodies have been identified. Four badly injured victims died in hospitals. At the TAM cargo building hit by the plane, eight people are missing.
The landing strip had not been grooved to drain rainwater.
"Why was Congonhas reopened in that state?" asked Paulo Sampaio, an aviation consultant at Multiplan Consultora in Rio de Janeiro. "It's a crime."
Infraero's Pereira said "We have to clarify why the plane accelerated again," he added. "Only the black box can tell us that."
Air traffic controllers, fearing to be made scapegoats for that accident, have staged periodic work slowdowns to protest against deficient radar and radio equipment poor pay and hours. Delays and cancellations are routine. Passengers occasionally storm the airfields.
Anger Mounts
Cezar Britto, president of The Order of Lawyers of Brazil said it was "a tragedy waiting to happen," echoing public opinion. "What exploded in Cagonhas was not just the TAM airbus and almost 200 victims but the credibility of the Brazilian aviation system."
Cagonhas is notorious for its short, dangerous runway.
"The runway was as slippery as soap," a pilot confessed.
Rescuers pulled 181 bodies from the twisted metal wreckage and rubble. Five people are listed as missing. 11 are hospitalized. No passengers survived.
Relatives gathered to identify the remains amid calls for authorities to improve airport safety.
The crash is the latest of a series of airline disasters. The main runway had been resurfaced last month, but more work was scheduled to allow for better water drainage.
"Control tower operators had warned the runway should be closed," said Sergio Olivera, who heads the Federation of Air Controllers.
Footage of landing showed the aircraft travelling at high speed--the Airbus took only three seconds as opposed to the usual 11 to traverse the runway then disappeared after skidding off the left side of the runway. Then a ball of flame filled the sky.
An investigation has been ordered. One of the black boxes has been recovered.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declared three days of national mourning. Pope Benedict XVI expressed his sorrow.
In February a judge banned Fokker 100, Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737/700 jetliners from the airport but the ruling was overturned in appeals.
Cagonhas is notorious for its short, dangerous runway.
"The runway was as slippery as soap," a pilot confessed.
Rescuers pulled 181 bodies from the twisted metal wreckage and rubble. Five people are listed as missing. 11 are hospitalized. No passengers survived.
Relatives gathered to identify the remains amid calls for authorities to improve airport safety.
The crash is the latest of a series of airline disasters. The main runway had been resurfaced last month, but more work was scheduled to allow for better water drainage.
"Control tower operators had warned the runway should be closed," said Sergio Olivera, who heads the Federation of Air Controllers.
Footage of landing showed the aircraft travelling at high speed--the Airbus took only three seconds as opposed to the usual 11 to traverse the runway then disappeared after skidding off the left side of the runway. Then a ball of flame filled the sky.
An investigation has been ordered. One of the black boxes has been recovered.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declared three days of national mourning. Pope Benedict XVI expressed his sorrow.
In February a judge banned Fokker 100, Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737/700 jetliners from the airport but the ruling was overturned in appeals.
Prosecutors calling for closure of Sao Paulo airport
Brazilian prosecutors call for the immediate closure of Sao Paulo's airport today after the country's worst air disaster in its history.
Governor Jose Serra declared that the volume of air traffic at Congonhas must to be drastically. A plane belonging to Brazil's TAM airlinehit a nearby warehouse and exploded, killing 186 people on board and three on the ground.
Footage shows Flight 3054 accelerating as it hit the short runway. Authorities believe the pilot tried to abort his landing and take off again.
Rescue workers suspended the search for victims when the building at the crash scene threatened collapse. 4 Europeans, three from France and one from Portugal, were on board.
Pilots are instructed to touch down within the first 1,000ft (300m), or pull up and circle round again. Yesterday, another TAM airline jet was rerouted after coming in at an unsafe angle.
The official statement is that it is necessary to temporarily paralyze the activities at the Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo until a complete renovation of both of its runways can be completed and there is certainty that they are fully secure for full operations.
The senate leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSDB), Arthur Virgilio - whose colleague, the opposition leader Julio Redecker, was killed in the crash - said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, needed to "act, not to talk...Otherwise his term will be marked by the suffering and pain of so many Brazilians who could still be alive."
Governor Jose Serra declared that the volume of air traffic at Congonhas must to be drastically. A plane belonging to Brazil's TAM airlinehit a nearby warehouse and exploded, killing 186 people on board and three on the ground.
Footage shows Flight 3054 accelerating as it hit the short runway. Authorities believe the pilot tried to abort his landing and take off again.
Rescue workers suspended the search for victims when the building at the crash scene threatened collapse. 4 Europeans, three from France and one from Portugal, were on board.
Pilots are instructed to touch down within the first 1,000ft (300m), or pull up and circle round again. Yesterday, another TAM airline jet was rerouted after coming in at an unsafe angle.
The official statement is that it is necessary to temporarily paralyze the activities at the Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo until a complete renovation of both of its runways can be completed and there is certainty that they are fully secure for full operations.
The senate leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSDB), Arthur Virgilio - whose colleague, the opposition leader Julio Redecker, was killed in the crash - said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, needed to "act, not to talk...Otherwise his term will be marked by the suffering and pain of so many Brazilians who could still be alive."
2007/07/18
Brazilian Crash Prompts Probe on Airport Work
Projects intended To Improve Runway
BUENOS AIRES, July 18 -- Brazil is planning to investigate if recent construction projects intended to improve runways at Congonhas contributed to the TAM crash, which killed at least 189.
Officials emphasized that it is too soon to determine a specific cause but the world's worst air crash in five years, is the source of sadness and outrage in Brazil. Critics of Congonhas airport have long predicted an accident like Tuesday's.
The Airbus 320, touched down and when the pilot realized he could not stop, he attempted to take off again, narrowly clearing an elevated roadway before crashing into a fuel station and cargo office. The capacity of the plane was 185 adults. The 186 people on board included a baby. The weight of the plane was within approved safety ranges. One day before the crash a small turboprop plane harmlessly slid off the same wet runway.
Rescue crews continued recovering bodies. Authorities confirmed all 186 fatalities aboard the plane. The number could rise. The "black box" recorder has been delivered to the United States for analysis.
The 6,362-foot runway at Congonhas is 500 feet shorter than the runway at Reagan National Airport, which is considered too short for large jet landings during rain. The newly repaved runway was scheduled to be grooved to channel rain. as standing water has caused delays in the past.
A congressional panel is already probing Brazil's aviation security system. Accusations have been made that airport authorities have taken bribes. Federal police are investigating the airport construction projects.
The Sao Paulo attorney general's office closed Congonhas runway to large jets. "The runway needs to be extended by 1,275 feet to provide adequate space to accommodate jetliners...The airport put at risk the lives of passengers, crew members and those living in the surrounding area due to the constant skidding caused by the inefficient drainage system."
Responding to objections from airport and airline authorities, an appeals judge lifted the ban. The Airbus 320 was not among those planes that had been restricted from landing.
In Sao Paulo, South America's largest city with a population of about 20 million, Congonhas airport is surrounded by densely populated commercial and residential neighborhoods. In 1996, a TAM flight crashed a mile from the runway, missing an elementary school.
Gideon Ewers said, "Runway excursions account for something like a quarter of accidents. Anytime you run off the runway and are confronted with a steep slope, a sheer drop, a four-lane highway and buildings, it's not good." Ewers is with the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations represents pilots from over 90 countries.
The federation urges authorities to add safety-strip extensions to the ends of runways or install "arrestor beds."
Since 2000, there have been seven accidents in Sao Paulo resulting major damage to aircraft. Six occurred upon landing. A Gol Airlines jet collided with a small private plane over the Amazon rain forest, killing all 154 people abpard just ten months ago, but Tuesday's crash is the deadliest in Brazil's history.
A U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has an investigator at the scene to assist in the crash probe. Authorities will be combing the site, checking the runway slickness and the possiblility of pilot error. Former NTSB investigator Ron Schleede said. "Most runway-overrun accidents involve slick surfaces or planes going too fast to stop." A Miami-based lawyer representing the families of 30 victims of the Gol crash, Ricardo Martinez-Cid said he has been contacted by attorneys for families in Tuesday's disaster. Court actions could be filed after more evidence has been collected.
BUENOS AIRES, July 18 -- Brazil is planning to investigate if recent construction projects intended to improve runways at Congonhas contributed to the TAM crash, which killed at least 189.
Officials emphasized that it is too soon to determine a specific cause but the world's worst air crash in five years, is the source of sadness and outrage in Brazil. Critics of Congonhas airport have long predicted an accident like Tuesday's.
The Airbus 320, touched down and when the pilot realized he could not stop, he attempted to take off again, narrowly clearing an elevated roadway before crashing into a fuel station and cargo office. The capacity of the plane was 185 adults. The 186 people on board included a baby. The weight of the plane was within approved safety ranges. One day before the crash a small turboprop plane harmlessly slid off the same wet runway.
Rescue crews continued recovering bodies. Authorities confirmed all 186 fatalities aboard the plane. The number could rise. The "black box" recorder has been delivered to the United States for analysis.
The 6,362-foot runway at Congonhas is 500 feet shorter than the runway at Reagan National Airport, which is considered too short for large jet landings during rain. The newly repaved runway was scheduled to be grooved to channel rain. as standing water has caused delays in the past.
A congressional panel is already probing Brazil's aviation security system. Accusations have been made that airport authorities have taken bribes. Federal police are investigating the airport construction projects.
The Sao Paulo attorney general's office closed Congonhas runway to large jets. "The runway needs to be extended by 1,275 feet to provide adequate space to accommodate jetliners...The airport put at risk the lives of passengers, crew members and those living in the surrounding area due to the constant skidding caused by the inefficient drainage system."
Responding to objections from airport and airline authorities, an appeals judge lifted the ban. The Airbus 320 was not among those planes that had been restricted from landing.
In Sao Paulo, South America's largest city with a population of about 20 million, Congonhas airport is surrounded by densely populated commercial and residential neighborhoods. In 1996, a TAM flight crashed a mile from the runway, missing an elementary school.
Gideon Ewers said, "Runway excursions account for something like a quarter of accidents. Anytime you run off the runway and are confronted with a steep slope, a sheer drop, a four-lane highway and buildings, it's not good." Ewers is with the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations represents pilots from over 90 countries.
The federation urges authorities to add safety-strip extensions to the ends of runways or install "arrestor beds."
Since 2000, there have been seven accidents in Sao Paulo resulting major damage to aircraft. Six occurred upon landing. A Gol Airlines jet collided with a small private plane over the Amazon rain forest, killing all 154 people abpard just ten months ago, but Tuesday's crash is the deadliest in Brazil's history.
A U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has an investigator at the scene to assist in the crash probe. Authorities will be combing the site, checking the runway slickness and the possiblility of pilot error. Former NTSB investigator Ron Schleede said. "Most runway-overrun accidents involve slick surfaces or planes going too fast to stop." A Miami-based lawyer representing the families of 30 victims of the Gol crash, Ricardo Martinez-Cid said he has been contacted by attorneys for families in Tuesday's disaster. Court actions could be filed after more evidence has been collected.
Brazil's Call for Change: A320 Crash
One day after a TAM Airlines Airbus A320 crashed in Brazil, killing at least 189 people, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations chimed in on Wednesday, "Runways around the world have inadequate overrun areas."
The airbus was trying to land on a wet runway at Sao Paulo Cagonhas Airport, and when they were unable to stop, they took off again.
The airbus managed to clear the airport fence and a highway. However it crashed into a gas station and a building then exploded into flame.
IFALPA said, Runway-end safety areas should be established at all airports with airline operations, with an overrun space at least 800 feet long or an arrestor system that could halt an errant aircraft.
The 6,362-foot runway in question has often been criticized as being too short.
The airbus was trying to land on a wet runway at Sao Paulo Cagonhas Airport, and when they were unable to stop, they took off again.
The airbus managed to clear the airport fence and a highway. However it crashed into a gas station and a building then exploded into flame.
IFALPA said, Runway-end safety areas should be established at all airports with airline operations, with an overrun space at least 800 feet long or an arrestor system that could halt an errant aircraft.
The 6,362-foot runway in question has often been criticized as being too short.
BRAZIL'S WORST-EVER AIR DISASTER
BRAZIL'S WORST-EVER AIR DISASTER
200 Feared Dead in Sao Paulo Crash
At least 195 people were killed in Brazil's worst plane crash, a product of a country with an inadequate air travel network that has been plagued by havoc.
Witness Paulo Carol imagined he was at the set of a Hollywood disaster film when right in front of his taxi, an airplane crossed six lanes of the Avenida Washington Luis. He and his passengers fled on foot.
Airbus A-320 operated by the Brazilian airline TAM, skidded off the runway after touching down and collided with cars and through a gas station before slamming into a TAM maintenance building. 180 deaths were passengers on the Airbus jet. Fifteen more deaths included Tam employees in the building.
tos)
Luiz Santos who barely escaped the explosion, said "The airplane was coming right at me. I could hear the sound of the engines and then it exploded." His windows and the back end of his truck were shattered, but Santos and his passenger escaped.
Flight JJ 3054 left Porto Alegre at 5:16 p.m. and landed at Congonhas two hours later. The plane apparently touched down too far down the runway.
Accidents have made flying in South America dangerous to contemplate. Flight controllers are overworked, underpaid and untrained, and rely on aging and defective radar technology in the Amazon.
In September, a Gol airlines Boeing 737 collided with a private jet over the Amazon, killing 154. That investigation is ongoing.
The country's air travel infrastructure has been unable to keep up with Brazil's fast economic growth.
200 Feared Dead in Sao Paulo Crash
At least 195 people were killed in Brazil's worst plane crash, a product of a country with an inadequate air travel network that has been plagued by havoc.
Witness Paulo Carol imagined he was at the set of a Hollywood disaster film when right in front of his taxi, an airplane crossed six lanes of the Avenida Washington Luis. He and his passengers fled on foot.
Airbus A-320 operated by the Brazilian airline TAM, skidded off the runway after touching down and collided with cars and through a gas station before slamming into a TAM maintenance building. 180 deaths were passengers on the Airbus jet. Fifteen more deaths included Tam employees in the building.
tos)
Luiz Santos who barely escaped the explosion, said "The airplane was coming right at me. I could hear the sound of the engines and then it exploded." His windows and the back end of his truck were shattered, but Santos and his passenger escaped.
Flight JJ 3054 left Porto Alegre at 5:16 p.m. and landed at Congonhas two hours later. The plane apparently touched down too far down the runway.
Accidents have made flying in South America dangerous to contemplate. Flight controllers are overworked, underpaid and untrained, and rely on aging and defective radar technology in the Amazon.
In September, a Gol airlines Boeing 737 collided with a private jet over the Amazon, killing 154. That investigation is ongoing.
The country's air travel infrastructure has been unable to keep up with Brazil's fast economic growth.
Almost 200 Feared Dead in Air Crash
Brazilian officials now fear at least 195 people are dead from Tuesday night's jetliner crash in Sao Paulo. The TAM airlines Airbus-320 was on a domestic flight to Sao Paulo from the southern city of Porto Alegre when it skidded off the end of the rain-slicked runway, crashed into a gas station and a building and burst into flames.
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