As a Brazilian...
Perhaps the American pilots could or should have done things that would prevent the disaster. The final report will - I hope - inform us of their reponsibility share.
But what I can say, as a Brazilian, is that there is a lot of prejudice against the pilots here. You all know what is prejudice. We humans donīt seem to deal with people who are different, in this case nationality. I guess this could happen in any country. In the case of Brazil there is a lot of prejudices against the USA and the pilots were at the wrong time at the wrong place. Stvruss in a way represents the Braziliansī average thinking...
From the beginning I was appaled when the Minister of Defense in TV was already blaming the Legacy pilots for "disconnecting the transponder in order to do stunts with the new plane". On that day I realized that I would have to do whatever I could to neutralize this venon. Well, with the black boxes, it then became clear that they flew all the time straight and level... So this version was shot.
Then it was repeated many times that they did not follow the written flight plan. This was said by people who should know better, that is, that the flight plan is always the last one cleared by ATC. But the press was always coming back to it. Well I am not going here into the conversation between the pilots and the ATC in San Jose: if there was a misunderstanding, if the ATC did not know how to speak english, if the pilots did not understand (this will become clear because the tape will not lie) but the fact is that the Legacy pilots felt that they were cleared to fly 370 to Manaus.
I am not going into why, but I am sure no pílot would disconnect a transponder voluntarily specially in a somewhat strange country. Yes, after seven minutes after passing Brazilia they were flying 370. Then with the transponder off they flew 370 until the disaster. Well... couldnīt ATC in Brasilia and Manaus help them out in this predicament?...
In Brazil there has been a mess...local police investigation, federal police investigation, CPI of the House, CPI of the Senate, Air Force blaming the controllers (who are also lower rank Air Force) and...of course CENIPA (that belongs to the Air Force too). All, except CENIPA have decided who is to be blamed...
The Legacy pilots, of course, where afraid to come to Brazil for deposition. I believe that for good reazons. So they are being tried without being heard...even though they offered to make depositions in the USA...to be sent to the judge in Mato Grosso. The judge did not accept this.
As for the informant for Mr. Sharkey I am not sure. But letīs not kill the messager of bad news... I recall that this man indeed was falsely accused in his school and had a very hard time dealing with it after the school was closed. He must be very sensitive to people being falsely accused of course.
As for Sdvruss I am glad he is expressing himself and is here in this forum.
I believe he means well.