Theamrad and Downinthreegreen:
There seems to be one difference in what I am doing and what other press people may or may not be doing.
I am as well qualified a pilot as the two tragic figures flying the TAM plane.
I don't talke everything at face value on the PPRUNE thread, and contrary to popular belief, my reporter friend did mention PPRUNE by name and it is on the record/transcript.
Did I know the airport had problems before this crash? yes.
Did I know the runway had just been resurfaced? NO, and I didn't report it just from PPRUNE, I checked another source.
Did I know the number two TR was MEL'd? nope...but before I passed it on I got another source.
I received a very kind message from a poster here supporting my efforts...you all complain about the press and how it handles the aviation world...tell me what better thing than a well qualified pilot who knows how to gather information, double checks it and then sends it on to a very competent reporter who is also a pilot?
When my reporter friend used a YOU TUBE shot of a landing at the airport in question, HE TOLD PEOPLE THAT IT WAS SHOT DURING A LANDING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION (17r). NBC used the same images and swore it was exactly what the TAM pilots saw...EVEN THOUGH THE IMAGE HAS THE SYMBOLS 17R ON IT.
Was it the pilots making a mistake, the runway surface too slick, difficulties due to inop TR? Combination of things...or did the pilots suffer a stroke on short final, or a myriad of unknown things at this time?
It is important to raise the questions in an intelligent and informed manner to set the agenda to make things safer. Already the President of Brazil has promised to build a new airport to replace the present one...that is because of all the attention the world's presses are making.