Oh...how complicate this gets...
João Batista da Silva Controlador de Tráfego Aéreo
November seis zero zero x-ray lima, ATC permissão para Eduardo Gomes, nível de vôo três sete zero direção Poços de Caldas,
Sdruvss is quoting the "final report" of the House of Representatives Commission to Investigate the disaster (CPI), whose chair belongs to the government party, and know nothing of aviation. A shame. How come a "commission" like this without anyone acquainted with aviation come to conclusions to blame anyone for the disaster? Only in Brazil. I say again, let´s wait for CENIPA/NTSB. At least those people know better about aviation (although CENIPA belongs to the Air Force, who also is responsible for Air Traffic Control in Brazil).
The quote above is clear: "João Batista da SIlva ATC: November six zero zero x-ray lima, ATC permission for Eduardo Gomes (Manaus) flight level three seven zero direction Poços de Caldas."
I heard the dialogue between the pilots and ATC and if I am not mistaken they asked twice about the clearance.
The rest of the document from the CPI is again holding the pilots to follow the initial written flight plan and saying that they did not follow it. This has become the common criticism here: the original flight plan was not followed... little is said about the dialogue between the pilots and ATC in Sâo Jose. I hope they don´t erase this tape...
When they approached Brasilia they again told ATC that they were at 370. Brasilia wished them a good trip. Then their transponder showed for seven minutes that they were at 370 after passing Brasilia...etc, etc... I am not going to repeat myself.
Yes, I find that maybe the pilots could take the initiative in Brasilia and after to make sure they were flying in the proper altitude 370 and perhaps insist to know if this was the proper altitude. In hindsight everything is easy. But yes, maybe they could have done this... even though they knew that their altitude was being sent by their transponder (seven minutes) and they were in the radar of Cyndacta.
Well, let me admit that I got involved on this when I saw this prejudiced movement to blame the US pilots. I dislike prejudices of any kind. I was appaled whem in the first week after the accident the Minister of Defense in Brazil was in TV saying the the american pilots disconnected their transponder because they wanted to make stunts to test the new plane...
At that moment I decided to get involved.
But I am flexible and will change my present views when I see evidences for it. As for the dialogue between São Jose and the Pilots I will have to hear, myself, the tape before going for interpretations of what happened.
I am becoming found of Sdruvss (a Brazilian like me) andI am sorry we all can´t listen together to the tape with the conversation between TC in São Jose and Legacy. Perhaps someday...