Mid Air Collision over the Amazon in Brazil
On September 29th, 2006 a brand new Boeing 737-800 with 155 sould on board crashed in a remote section of the Amazon killing all on board. Initial reports claim that the Boeing collided with a new business jet, an Embraer Legacy Jet. The seven souls on board the Legacy Jet were uninjured.
Consider this - brand new aircraft, equipped with the very latest technology, collide in a remote area resulting in 155 deaths. Each aircraft was equipped with TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) equipment which should have given ample warning of another aircraft in close proximity. I have flown aircraft with TCAS, and I can tell you that you will not miss the warnings.
Initial reports tell us that each aircraft was being controlled by a different air controller in different cities. The Boeing was cleared to fly at 37,000 feet, and the business jet was cleared to climb from 35,000 feet to 39,000 feet. However, the crew of the Legacy business jet claim they were cleared to fly at 37,000 feet. Once the "black boxes" are recoved and analyzed that matter should be cleared up.
Once agan we have well qualified pilots, well trained, flying modern well equipped aircraft, and still we have a fatal accident. Could the pilots have missed the warnings? The Boeing apparently lost its tailplane, and the Legacy business jet had damage to it when the crew post flighted the aircraft after an emergency landing. Could the controllers have miscommunicated? Did they not co-ordinate altitudes for the aircraft? Even so, how could these two aircraft get close enough to collide and no one know? Surely one of the crews would have noticed the TCAS alarm.
My bet is that the accident is the result of the usual - human error. Someone was not focused on the task at hand, was inattentive, distracted or simply not paying attention. Remember that newspaper rolled up my instructor used to hit my head with? I still feel it from time to time. The rule is never stop paying attention, even to the smallest details. Flying airplanes can be fun, but it is always dangerous.
Keep your wings level and fly safe!
"Crusty Captain"
Consider this - brand new aircraft, equipped with the very latest technology, collide in a remote area resulting in 155 deaths. Each aircraft was equipped with TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) equipment which should have given ample warning of another aircraft in close proximity. I have flown aircraft with TCAS, and I can tell you that you will not miss the warnings.
Initial reports tell us that each aircraft was being controlled by a different air controller in different cities. The Boeing was cleared to fly at 37,000 feet, and the business jet was cleared to climb from 35,000 feet to 39,000 feet. However, the crew of the Legacy business jet claim they were cleared to fly at 37,000 feet. Once the "black boxes" are recoved and analyzed that matter should be cleared up.
Once agan we have well qualified pilots, well trained, flying modern well equipped aircraft, and still we have a fatal accident. Could the pilots have missed the warnings? The Boeing apparently lost its tailplane, and the Legacy business jet had damage to it when the crew post flighted the aircraft after an emergency landing. Could the controllers have miscommunicated? Did they not co-ordinate altitudes for the aircraft? Even so, how could these two aircraft get close enough to collide and no one know? Surely one of the crews would have noticed the TCAS alarm.
My bet is that the accident is the result of the usual - human error. Someone was not focused on the task at hand, was inattentive, distracted or simply not paying attention. Remember that newspaper rolled up my instructor used to hit my head with? I still feel it from time to time. The rule is never stop paying attention, even to the smallest details. Flying airplanes can be fun, but it is always dangerous.
Keep your wings level and fly safe!
"Crusty Captain"
posted by Crusty Captain at 7:27 PM
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