Legacy N600XL X Boeing 737 GOL1907 Collision in Brazil
Events sequence for EMB-145 Legacy N600XL and Boeing 737-800 GOL Flight 1907 Crashed in Brazil on September 29th, 2006 at 16:56:54 GMT-3.
Flight Plan presented to ACC - BR ( Brasilia Area Control Center ) via SBSJ - Sao Jose dos Campos AIS room.
Legacy's crew received Flight Plan CLEARANCE from ACC-BR via Sao Jose dos Campos TWR Air Traffic Controller.
That's the Legacy FPL route detailed:
N0452 F370 DCT PCL UW2 BRS/N0456 F360 UZ6 TERES/N0449 F380 UZ6 MAN DCT
Legacy's pilots received CLEARANCE to CLIMB UP and Maintain FL 370 to Manaus as CLEARED by ACC-BR.
Official Preliminary Investigation Report:
Take Off time: 17:51 (GMT-3) on September 29th, 2006
Legacy N600XL TOC ( Top of Climb ) 37.000 feet: 18:33 (GMT-3)
I am very intrigued with 42 minutes to climb up to 37.000 feet.
Compulsories Fixes along Airway UW 2 :
BCO VOR( 23º 24.4’S, 46º 26.1’W )
BGC VOR( 22º 57.’S, 46º 34.2’W )
PCL NDB ( 21º 50.15’S, 46º 33.94’W )
Track 006º from PCL NDB (415 ) to BRS VOR ( 115.90 )
KERBO INT ( 21º 06.2’S, 46º 44.2’W)
ARX VOR (19º 41.3’S, 47º 03.6’W )
VALDI INT ( 18º 03.8’S, 47º 28.5’W )
Last VHF Contact with ACC-BR 18:51 (GMT-3) before BRS VOR
( 15º 52.4’S, 48º 01.3’W )
At least for twice after leveled off Legacy plane on Flight Level 370 Legacy's pilots had Communications with ACC-BR before they have lost radio contact with ACC-BR.
At 18:51 (GMT-3) Legacy's pilots called Brasilia Center and received these instructions from Brasilia Area Control Center’s Air Traffic Contoller:
Controller - N600 squalk identification, maintaining flight level 370, under radar surveillance.
Legacy - Roger. ( that was the last radio contact ).
The plane overflown BRS VOR at 18:55 ( GMT - 3 ) and it should step DOWN to Flight Level 360 as filed.
Next Compulsory Fix to be flown it should be TERES ( 12º 28.54’S, 51º 28.09’W ), distance 282 NM from BRS VOR on airway UZ 6 centerline, Track 334º. The next TERES Compulsory Fix where Legacy's pilots should CLIMB UP to Flight Level 380 as filed in original Flight Plan, but overruled by LAST Brasilia ACC-BR Controller AUTHORIZATION ( "Maintaining Flight Level 370") on last radio contact.
Legacy aircraft had lost communications with Brasilia Area Controle Center after 18:51 (GMT-3).
Captain Joseph Lepore and co-pilot Jan Paladino affirmed they tried for many times ( listed time in Preliminary Investigation Report present 12 times calls to be exactly ) to make VHF radio contact with Brasilia Area Control Center without success. They have claimed never turned down VHF radio volume and, they did not desengage the Autopilot for any reason after take off, and they felt insulted by some newspaper accusing them by turned off the TRANSPONDER .
The distance, on airway UZ 6, from Compulsory Fix TERES to Brasilia Area Control Center boundary is 157 NM ( NABOL Compulsory Fix ), heading 334 degrees. The next boundary is Manaus Area Control Center.
The distance from MAN VOR to Brasilia Area Control Center boundary ( NABOL Compulsory Fix ) is 610 NM.
Airway UZ 6 from Manaus VOR to Brasilia VOR has 1049 NM.
The collision took place on a point 29 NM after NABOL Compulsory Fix, within Manaus Area Control Center, near Air Force Base - SBCC - RESTRICTED area, at 19:56:54 ( GMT - 3 ).
This area is RESTRICTED to overflight from 18.000 feet until UNLIMETED airspace.
Airspace from BRS VOR to MAN VOR is RVSM area ( Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum ).
The question is:
Why ever didn't Manaus ACC Controller and/or Brasilia ACC Controller put Boeing 737-800 GOL1907 under RADAR VECTORING to keep the plane from COLLISION?
Boeing 737-800 GOL1907 Departure from SBEG was at 18:35 ( GMT - 3 ).
It reached FL 370 at 18:58 GMT-3.
After Legacy plane has overflown BRS VOR at 18:55 ( GMT - 3), Brasilia ACC Air Traffic Controller had 61 minutes and 54 seconds to coordinate with Manaus ACC Air Traffic Controller to ALERT and DIVERT Boeing 737 Flight GOL1907 to a CROSS-TRACK route parallel 10 or 20 miles to airway UZ 6 centerline.
Official Preliminary Investigation Report has many conflicting informations:
Preliminary Investigation Report informs a Collision Point at 10º 44’S, 053º 31’ W, but this point will be plotted to the RIGHT of airway UZ 6 centerline.
Investigator has said Boeing 737-800 GOL 1907 was maintaining Track 155º ( that is in accordance with airway UZ 6 centerline ) and AFTER Collision Point the aircraft ( Boeing GOL 1907 ) took Head 130º and fallen onto the ground 3.3 NM from Collision Point.
That’s meaning LEFT turn.
Investigator has said Collision Point was plotted "approximately 20 Kilometers = 10,7 NM from NABOL Compulsory Fix" within Manaus Area Control Center – Amazonic Center.
Leagacy’ speed was 460 Knots Ground Speed according Radar Data Tag on Flight Level 370 since TOC = Top of Climb, so we can easily calculate the TERES, NABOL and Collision Point right time.
BRS VOR overflight at 18:55 GMT-3.
Distance BRS VOR to TERES Compulsory Fix 282 NM.
Distance TERES to NABOL Compulsory Fix 157 NM ( ACC-BR boundary ).
Collision Point at 19:56:54 GMT-3.
We have calculated 3.9 minutes ( 3 minutes and 54 seconds ) from NABOL to Collision Point and a distance 29 NM on airway UZ 6 centerline.
Correct geographic coordinates for Collision Point are 10º 12’ 5.42" S, 53º 33’ 17.05" W.
There are something cloudy in this Preliminary Investigation Report.
Last edited by georgecrock; 4th Jun 2007 at 09:41.