Follow the money is always a good trail in investigations . But this time the family relatives should perhaps realize that the State of Brazil has far more funds that a small US company ( that could also declare that part operating the aircraft insolvent ) and I am not sure the Legacy impounded was paid cash in advance . If banks were involved they will certainly recoup their credits on it as well.
I am not sure how long and how it will be to collect money from the Federal Government (Air Force) in Brazil. I suspect that a long time, if they collect, but I am not an expert in law, and really am not sure. Four controllers have been indiciated by the CPI of the House and the Federal Police. The Air Force has denied any software-equipment failures. I am not aware of any suits agains the Brazilian (Air Force) government.
Aeromagazine, just came out.
www.aeromagazine.com.br
The last edition of the magazine Aeromagazine mentions again the two disasters Boing x Legacy and TAM in Congonhas. Since this is a thread on Boeing x Legacy, here is what they say:
It mentions that there is a controversy about the Legacy Transponder.
It says that the north-american authorities are questioning the local that the RMU (Radio Management Unit) in the jets of the family ERJ built by Embraer. The FAA (Federal Aviation Agency), aviation authority in the USA, published in July 3/07 a Security Alert for Operators (SAFO 07005) callingthe attention for the possibility of pilots who fly the models Legacy, ERJ-135, ERJ-140 and ERJ-145 modifying radio frequencies VHF or placing the Transponder in Stand By uintentionally during the flight. The FAA afirms that it found out during an investigation that pilots who had the habit of placing their shoes in the shoe rest located just below the instrument panel could unintentionally change the Transponder to Stand By . The study also shows the difficulties for the pilots to see that the Transponder was off because the indication "TCAS OFF" appear in the PFD (Primary screen) in small white letters that, according to FAA, are less perceived than warnings with colored letters.
Then the Embraer replies:
They acknowledge the note from FAA for the family EMB-145.. However in more than 11 million accumulated flight hours there has been no reports of TCAs being disconnected or going into Stand By in airplanes built by Embraer that have any relationship wit foot rest. All the technical analysis made by Embraer show that the normal use of the foot rests in the family EM-145 do not cause risks of the disconnection involuntary or accidental of the TCAs in these airplanes.
This subject is now being discussed between ANAC (Brazilian National Agency for Civil Aviation) and FAA, organizations that are reponsible for the certification of airplanes in Brazil and USA
So, so far...no conclusion on why the Transponder went off in the Legacy...