NTSB To Assist in Brazilian Midair Investigation.

[RichOffDuty]

NTSB To Assist in Brazilian Midair Investigation.

The NTSB is sending investigators to Brazil to assist in the investigation of the September 29 midair between a Boeing 737 and an Embraer Legacy 600. NTSB senior investigator William English will serve as the U.S. accredited representative, accompanied by two Safety Board investigators and representatives from the FAA and Boeing. Brazil’s Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center will release all official information on the progress of the investigation. The midair occurred at about 5 p.m. local time at 37,000 feet and resulted in the Gol Linhas Aereas 737 crashing into remote jungle terrain. All 155 people aboard were killed. The Embraer Legacy 600, with seven people aboard and parts of its stabilizers and most of the left winglet torn away, landed safely at a Brazilian Air Force Base in Cachimbo. The Legacy had been registered on the same day as the accident as N600XL to ExcelAire of Ronkonkoma, N.Y. Officials from ExcelAire were picking up the new airplane to fly it to the U.S. Among the passengers was New York Times writer Joe Sharkey on assignment for AIN’s sister publication, Business Jet Traveler. It is too soon in the investigation to determine what part TCAS or RVSM might have played in the accident.

From AIN Email.

[RichOffDuty]

Bizav Reported Target of ATC Restrictions in Brazil.

According to today’s issue of ASI Group’s “Hot Spots” security newsletter, civil aviation authorities in Brazil will impose temporary restrictions on private flights. “This move is a consequence of the decision on the part of civilian air traffic controllers in Brasilia to increase the mandatory distance between aircraft from five to 10 nautical miles,” ASI Group said. “Media reports indicate that these restrictions will immediately be in effect until further notice between 0730 and 1200 and 1700 and 2000 local time.” Within this timeframe, “Hot Spots” reports“private aircraft will not be allowed to take off, land or fly over the airspace of the cities of Brasilia, Cuiaba, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro or Belo Horizonte. These restrictions will be in effect until November 28.” It was unclear at press time if the restrictions are related to the September 29 midair in Brazil between an Embraer Legacy 600 and a GOL Airlines 737.

From AIN Email

[RichOffDuty]

UPDATE ON BRAZILIAN INVESTIGATION INTO SEPTEMBER MIDAIR COLLISION OVER AMAZON JUNGLE

The government of Brazil has asked the National
Transportation Safety Board to disseminate the following
factual information on the progress of its investigation
into a midair collision over the Brazilian Amazon jungle on
September 29, 2006, between a Boeing 737-800 (PR-GTD)
operated by Gol Airlines of Brazil, and an Embraer Legacy
600 business jet (N600XL) owned and operated by Excelaire of
Long Island, New York.

The accident investigation is being conducted under the
authority of the Brazilian Aeronautical Accident Prevention
and Investigation Center (DIPAA). Under the provisions of
ICAO Annex 13, the United States, as state of registry and
operator of the Excelaire Legacy, and state of manufacture
of the Boeing 737 and Honeywell avionics equipment in both
airplanes, has provided an accredited representative and
technical advisors for the investigation. The U.S. team
includes the accredited representative from the major
aviation accident investigations division of the NTSB, as
well as technical advisors in operations, systems, air
traffic control, flight recorders, and aircraft performance.
Additional technical advisors from Boeing, Excelaire,
Honeywell, and FAA have also been included.

The accident occurred about 4:57 pm Brasilia standard time.
The Boeing 737 was destroyed by in-flight breakup and impact
forces; all 154 occupants were fatally injured. The
wreckage of the 737 was located in remote jungle terrain
with very difficult access. Brazilian military search and
rescue personnel have located the flight recorders and all
significant portions of the wreckage except the outer
portion of the left wing. The Legacy N600XL experienced
damage to its left wing and left horizontal stabilizer and
performed an emergency landing at the Cachimbo Air Base,
approximately 60 miles northwest of the collision site.
There was no further damage to the airplane, and the 2 crew
members and 5 passengers were not injured. The airplane
remained at the base and significant components have been
tested and recovered from the aircraft.

Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area of
the accident. Both aircraft were operating on instrument
flight rules, on instrument flight plans and clearances.
The Boeing 737 was a scheduled domestic air carrier flight
enroute from the Eduardo Gomes International Airport,
Manaus, Brazil; to the Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek
Airport, Brasilia. The Legacy N600XL was enroute from the
Prof. Urbano Ernesto Stumpf airport, San Jose dos Campos,
Brazil (SBSJ), to a stopover in Manaus, and eventually
enroute back to the U.S. This was Excelaire's initial
flight with this aircraft, taking delivery from the Embraer
factory and a planned flight to Excelaire's home base in New
York.

History of flights:

The Legacy N600XL departed SBSJ at about 2:51 pm. The filed
flight plan included a routing via the OREN departure
procedure to Pocos beacon, then airway UW2 to Brasilia VOR
(BRS), airway UZ6 to Manaus. The cruise altitude was filed
as FL370, with a planned change to FL360 at BRS, and to
FL380 at the TERES navigational fix, approximately 282 miles
north of BRS.

After takeoff, N600XL was issued a number of interim
altitudes during climb, all of which were read back. The
flight was cleared to proceed direct to Araxa VOR (on airway
UW2), and at 3:11 pm was cleared to climb to FL370. At 3:33
pm, the airplane leveled at FL370.

At 3:35 pm, the Boeing 737 departed Eduardo Gomes airport,
requesting FL370 as a cruise altitude, and a routing via UZ6
to BRS. The airplane reached FL370 at 3:58 pm. There were
no anomalies in communications with or radar surveillance of
the Boeing 737 throughout the flight.

At 3:51 pm, an air traffic controller in the Brasilia ACC
(CINDACTA 1) instructed N600XL to change frequencies to the
next controller's sector. The crew of N600XL reported in on
the assigned frequency that the flight was level at FL370.
ATC acknowledged and instructed the crew to "ident" (flash
their transponder). Radar indicates that the ident was
observed. This was the last two-way communication between
N600XL and ATC. At this time the airplane was approximately
40 nautical miles south of BRS.

At 3:56pm the Legacy N600XL passed BRS level at FL370.
There is no record of a request from N600XL to the control
agencies to conduct a change of altitude, after reaching
flight level 370. The airplane made calls, but there is no
communication in which it requested a change of flight
level. There is also no record of any instruction from air
traffic controllers at Brasilia Center to the aircraft,
directing a change of altitude.

When the airplane was about 30 miles north-northwest of BRS,
at 4:02 pm, the transponder of N600XL was no longer being
received by ATC radar. A transponder reports a unique code,
aiding radar identification, and provides an accurate
indication of the airplane's altitude. Additionally, the
transponder is a required component for the operation of
Traffic Collision Avoidance System equipment, commonly
called the TCAS system.

Between 3:51 pm and 4:26 pm, there were no attempts to
establish radio communications from either the crew of
N600XL or ATC. At 4:26 pm the CINDACTA 1 controller made a
"blind call" to N600XL. Subsequently until 4:53 pm, the
controller made an additional 6 radio calls attempting to
establish contact. The 4:53 call instructed the crew to
change to frequencies 123.32 or 126.45. No replies were
received.

There is no indication that the crew of N600XL performed any
abnormal maneuvers during the flight. Flight Data Recorder
information indicates that the airplane was level at FL370,
on course along UZ6, and at a steady speed, until the
collision. Primary (non-transponder) radar returns were
received corresponding to the estimated position of N600XL
until about 4:30 pm. For 2 minutes, no returns were
received, then returns reappeared until 4:38 pm. After that
time, radar returns were sporadic.

Beginning at 4:48 pm, the crew of N600XL made a series of 12
radio calls to ATC attempting to make contact. At 4:53, the
crew heard the call instructing them to change frequencies,
but the pilot did not understand all of the digits, and
requested a repeat. No reply from ATC was received. The
pilot made 7 more attempts to establish contact.
At 4:56:54 pm the collision occurred at FL370, at a point
about 460 nautical miles north-northwest of BRS, on airway
UZ6.

There was no indication of any TCAS alert on board either
airplane, no evidence of pre-collision visual acquisition by
any flight crew member on either aircraft, and no evidence
of evasive action by either crew.

Wreckage and damage examination indicates that it is likely
the left winglet of the Legacy (which includes a metal spar)
contacted the left wing leading edge of the Boeing 737. The
impact resulted in damage to a major portion of the left
wing structure and lower skin, ultimately rendering the 737
uncontrollable. Flight recorder information ceased at an
approximate altitude of 7,887 feet.

After the collision, the crew of N600XL made numerous
further calls to ATC declaring an emergency and their intent
to make a landing at the Cachimbo air base.
At 5:02 pm, the transponder returns from N600XL were
received by ATC.

At 5:13 pm, an uninvolved flight crew assisted in relaying
communications between N600XL and ATC until the airplane
established communication with Cachimbo tower.

Investigative activities completed to date:

Flight recorders from both airplanes were recovered and
downloaded at the Transportation Safety Board of Canada
(TSB) laboratories. Transcriptions of the cockpit voice
recorders (CVRs) were prepared (the transcript of the
Legacy's CVR was produced at the NTSB's laboratory in
Washington, D.C.) and data from flight data recorders
obtained.

Initial interviews and medical examinations were conducted
with the crew of the Legacy. Air Traffic Control data was
gathered. Preliminary tests of the avionics equipment on the
Legacy were performed. Wreckage of the 737 was examined.

Future investigative activity:

Additional investigative work will include laboratory tests
of the avionics components removed from the Legacy, an
examination of the operating procedures of the avionics,
interviews with ATC personnel, examination of ATC practices
and comparison between Brazilian and FAA procedures, a
technical examination of ATC communication and surveillance
systems, and further examination of the training provided to
the operators.

The Investigator in Charge estimates a 10-month timeline for
the investigation. The first phase, data gathering is
estimated to take approximately 45 days, although some
further data gathering remains to be completed. Analysis of
the data is estimated to take 90 days followed by a
preliminary report with conclusions 120 days afterward.
Preparation of the final report and review by involved
parties and States is estimated at a further 30 days each.

From NTSB