David Rimmer, an ExcelAire executive who was aboard the Legacy, spoke to an Aviation Week reporter at an aviation safety conference in April:
Bus Av Now Blog Article
He speaks of "disappointment" at the inaction of the Consulate, and "disappointment" at the Cenipa report. Some interesting analogies to the treatment of the TAM crash. Also, he thinks Brazil finds survivors/witnesses inconvenient.
He emphasizes the role of the media in the case.
Aviation International News has an interview by Robert P. Mark with Roger Cox of the NTSB:
Brazil Midair Underscores Value of Thorough Research: AINonlineBrazil Midair Underscores Value of Thorough ResearchBy Robert P. Mark
May 1, 2009
Accidents
Operational threat identification and risk mitigation remain a primary concern for those who operate internationally. NTSB senior air safety inspector Roger Cox, the lead investigator on the Gol Airlines/ExcelAire Legacy midair, used the accident as an example of why international operators should take the time to fully understand what may be asked of them in less than normal situations in another country.
[more at site]
The ATC errors seem to have resulted from a combination of flawed systems, understaffing, and poorly trained and inexperienced controllers.
The flaws in the software were pointed out not only by the NTSB (as in the article above) but by Brazil's own TCU, a sort of equivalent to the Congressional Budget Office.
The officers of the air traffic controllers' association (not a union, most of the ATCO's are military, and can't unionize, though they can associate) are among the most experienced controllers. One, who was on duty (though not involved) the night Gol 1907 went missing, immediately reviewed the control center tapes and knew there had been a collision. Last I heard, he was out of the control tower and at a desk in the Air Force Ministry. Another controller with over 20 years' experience now reports every day to an Air Force base, where he is given nothing to do all day long, and studies books on breeding dairy cattle.
Many other experienced controllers have retired, discontent with the current situation.
Meanwhile, training has been abbreviated, allowing new controllers to be put in front of radar screens more quickly. Formerly only five sergeants (the military controllers are mostly sergeants) were promoted to officer every year, but know it's fifty. On the surface that's good, because it finally puts them close to a living wage. However, the goal may be maintaining control over the workers. In a casual conversation, there's a feeling that those being promoted to officer are not the best qualified, but those fastest to salute. "If you don't trust him as a controller, will you trust him as a supervisor?" was one comment.
While in much of the world the recession has brought a drop in air travel and bought time, in Brazil the airlines expect "only single-digit growth" for commercial traffic this year. That's not a breathing space, merely a reduction in the pressure.
I hear that grave incidents continue to be frequent, 125 in Brasilia in January.
The lawyer for the Brazilian Air Traffic Controllers' association, Roberto Sobral, spoke at the IFATCA convention in Croatia in April. I have not yet obtained a copy of his speech.
- Richard