Pilot Error Suspected In Brazil Plane Crash

Sources Close to Probe Say Engine Wasn't Idled

Authorities investigating the TAM airlines crash that killed 199 people in Sao Paulo last month believe pilot error caused the tragedy, according to sources familiar with the probe. The finding, if confirmed, would cast doubt on speculation that poor runway conditions were to blame and could lessen pressure on a government that many Brazilians still fault for the country's worst air disaster.

The sources said investigators believe the pilots incorrectly adjusted the plane's engine settings upon landing. A failure to correctly set thrust levels for one of the two engines would explain why the plane veered off the wet runway before crashing into a fuel depot and catching fire.

As they approached Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport to land, the pilots had programmed the computerized engine controls -- similar to a car's cruise-control system -- to maintain a speed of about 150 mph, according to the sources. When the plane was about 30 feet off the ground, the pilots correctly switched one of the engines to idle, but did not do so with the other engine. When the pilots applied the brakes, the second engine automatically attempted to accelerate to maintain the preset 150-mph speed. That caused the plane to veer left and made it impossible to stop, the sources said.

Additionally, one of the airplane's thrust reversers -- a device used to slow the aircraft -- was broken. Officials from TAM and Airbus, the manufacturer of the A320 aircraft, have emphasized that the plane is safe to fly with a disabled reverser.

In the weeks since the July 17 crash, the Brazilian government has weathered severe criticism for what many labeled an accident waiting to happen. Some officials had long contended that the short runway at Congonhas was unsafe in rainy conditions, and authorities had even tried to close the runway earlier this year. Families of the victims have held demonstrations to protest a government that they believe ignored clear danger signs and neglected to make needed improvements to Latin America's busiest airport.

The need to update the country's fast-growing air system has dominated national debate in recent weeks, and it has prompted changes and speeded plans for infrastructure improvements. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva last week replaced his defense minister, who supervises civil aviation, and has promised to name a site for a new Sao Paulo airport within three months.

The possibility of pilot error would shift some of the direct blame away from the government, which has faced increasing scrutiny since a Gol airlines jet collided with a small private plane over the Amazon rain forest in September, killing 154 people.

"If it's true, this will take some of the pressure off of the government, but certainly not all or even most of it," said Rogerio Schmitt, a political analyst in Sao Paulo. "Even if the pilot compromised the flight, it doesn't change the fact that the airport conditions were very, very bad. From a public opinion perspective, I still believe that many people will hold the government responsible."

Brazil's air traffic controllers said Tuesday they believe that government officials could use reports of pilot error to excuse themselves from making further improvements to the air safety system. They said the reports would not silence the complaints of the controllers, who have been accusing the government of neglect for months.

"In cases like this accident, there is never only one factor, but a series of factors -- like the configuration of the airport or the design of the runway, for example -- that could have combined with possible pilot error to cause the accident," said Ricardo Sterchele, executive secretary of the Brazilian Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations.

Benjamin Berman, a former investigator with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, concurred that a combination of factors could be to blame; the pilots might have made the mistake because they were stressed by the challenging landing they expected on the short, slick runway, he said.

Lawsuits have already been filed against TAM, Airbus and the manufacturers of the thrust reversers, and attorneys said the reports of pilot error are important to their cases.

"That weighs in heavily," said Steven C. Marks, a Miami lawyer whose firm filed a suit on behalf of one of the victims. "It's hard to imagine how there could not have been pilot error. Thousands of flights have landed on that same runway in worse conditions and with the same equipment, and they haven't had problems."

Reel reported from Buenos Aires. Staff writer Sabrina Valle in Washington and special correspondent Fred Alves in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.