Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907

The Gol Transportes Aéreos twin turbofan Boeing 737-800 aircraft, registered as PR-GTD, was a new Short Field Performance variant,{{rp|72}} with 186 seats (36 Economy Plus and 150 Economy seats).{{cite news |title=200 Air Force Men at Boeing Crash Site in Brazilian Jungle |url=http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7314/53/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117125215/http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7314/53/ |archive-date=17 November 2006 |publisher=brazzilmag |date=1 October 2006}} It logged 202 hours and 18 minutes of flight time in 162 takeoff and landing cycles before the collision.{{Cite news |date=2006-09-30 |title=Air force searches for missing Brazilian plane |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-09-30/air-force-searches-for-missing-brazilian-plane/1275154 |access-date=2024-10-29 |work=ABC News |agency=Reuters |language=en-AU |archive-date=23 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123145818/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-09-30/air-force-searches-for-missing-brazilian-plane/1275154 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Accident Boeing 737-8EH PR-GTD, Friday 29 September 2006 |url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/asndb/322098 |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=Aviation Safety Network |publisher=Flight Safety Foundation |archive-date=9 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809234420/https://asn.flightsafety.org/asndb/322098 |url-status=live }}{{Rp|page=24}}

On board the Boeing 737 were six crew members and 148 passengers.{{cite news |title=Gol divulga lista de passageiros do vôo 1907 |trans-title=Gol releases flight 1907 passenger list |url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u126491.shtml |work=Folha de S.Paulo |date=30 September 2006 |language=pt-BR |access-date=30 September 2006 |archive-date=14 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314132557/http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u126491.shtml |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}} The six crew members and 105 of the passengers were Brazilian; the remaining passengers were of various other nationalities. The crew consisted of Captain Decio Chaves Jr., 44, First Officer Thiago Jordão Cruso, 29, and four flight attendants. The captain, who had also been serving as a Boeing 737 flight instructor for the airline, had 15,498 total flight hours, with 13,521 on the Boeing 737. The first officer had 3,981 total flight hours, with 3,081 in the Boeing 737.{{rp|22}}

Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 departed Eduardo Gomes International Airport in Manaus on 29 September 2006, at 15:35 Brazilian standard time (BRT) (18:35 UTC),{{refn|All times given in this article use the standard time zone of Brazil (BRT), which is UTC−3:00, as this corresponds to the time at the national capital city, Brasília. The state of Mato Grosso, where the collision occurred, is in fact in the BRT−1 (UTC−4:00) time zone.|group=note}} en route to Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport, with a planned intermediate stop at Brasília International Airport.{{rp|12}}

The twin turbofan Embraer Legacy 600 business jet, serial number 965 and registration N600XL, newly built by Embraer and purchased by ExcelAire Service Inc. of Ronkonkoma, New York, was on a delivery flight by ExcelAire from the Embraer factory to the United States. It departed from São José dos Campos-Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf Airport (SJK), near São Paulo, at 14:51 BRT (17:51 UTC), and was en route to Eduardo Gomes International Airport (MAO) in Manaus as a planned intermediate stop.{{rp|12}}

The ExcelAire flight crew consisted of Captain Joseph Lepore, 42, and First Officer Jan Paul Paladino, 34, both U.S. citizens.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/business/03road.html |title=Colliding With Death at 37,000 Feet, and Living |date=1 October 2006 |work=The New York Times |first=Joe |last=Sharkey |access-date=31 March 2010 |archive-date=15 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115210541/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/business/03road.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |url=https://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1293333-5598,00.html |title=Ocupantes do Legacy dizem ter sentido impacto |trans-title=Legacy occupants say they felt impact |work=G1 |agency=Agência Estado |date=1 October 2006 |language=pt-BR |access-date=2 October 2006 |archive-date=9 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709113541/http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1293333-5598,00.html |url-status=live}} Lepore had been a commercial pilot for more than 20 years and had logged 9,388 total flight hours, with 5.5 hours in the Legacy 600. Paladino had been a commercial pilot for a decade and had accumulated more than 6,400 flight hours, including 3.5 hours in the Legacy 600, as well as 317 hours flying as captain of the Embraer ERJ-145 and ERJ-135 jet aircraft for American Eagle Airlines.{{refn|The ERJ-145 and ERJ-135 aircraft are regional jets of the same family as the Legacy.|group=note}} Paladino had also served as first officer for American Airlines, flying the McDonnell Douglas MD-82, MD-83, and Boeing 737-800 between the U.S. and Canada. Both pilots were legally qualified to fly the Embraer Legacy as captain.{{rp|23}}

Two of the five passengers were Embraer employees, two were ExcelAire executives, and the fifth passenger was The New York Times business travel columnist Joe Sharkey, who was writing a special report for Business Jet Traveler.{{cite magazine |last=Langewiesche |first=William |author-link=William Langewiesche |date=January 2009 |title=The Devil at 37,000 Feet |url=https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2009/1/the-devil-at-37000-feet |magazine=Vanity Fair |access-date=17 December 2008 |archive-date=28 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128095031/https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2009/1/the-devil-at-37000-feet |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1293076-5598,00.html |title=Caixas-pretas do Legacy chegam a São José dos Campos para perícia |trans-title=Legacy's black boxes arrive in São Jose Dos Campos for analysis |work=G1 |agency=Agência Estado |date=1 October 2006 |language=pt-BR |access-date=1 October 2006 |archive-date=9 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709113526/http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1293076-5598,00.html |url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Brazilian Authorities Suspect No Survivors From Jet That Crashed Carrying 155 People |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,216822,00.html |work=Fox News |agency=The Associated Press |date=30 September 2006 |access-date=30 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061023232736/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,216822,00.html |archive-date=23 October 2006 |url-status=dead}}

Image:Br-map1.jpg |language=pt |access-date=4 October 2006 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210204234/https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u126630.shtml |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}} {{legend-line|#C4281B solid 2px|Boeing southeast bound}} {{legend-line|#0FF904 solid 2px|Embraer northwest bound}}|alt=A map of Brazil with the approximate flight paths plotted on it in as red and green lines. The paths meet at the collision point, about halfway between Brasilia and Manaus.]]

At 16:56:54 BRT (19:56:54 UTC), the Boeing 737 and the Embraer Legacy jet collided almost head-on at {{convert|37000|ft|m|0}}, approximately midway between Brasília and Manaus, near the town of Matupá, {{convert|750|km|mi nmi|0|abbr=}} southeast of Manaus.{{cite web |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=matup%C3%A1,+brazil&ie=UTF8&z=6&ll=-10.18,-54.919998&spn=14.817703,27.773437&t=h&om=1 |title=Matupá, Brazil |publisher=Google Maps |work=Maps |access-date=30 September 2006 |archive-date=11 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111045132/https://www.google.com/maps?f=q&q=matup%C3%A1,+brazil&ie=UTF8&z=6&ll=-10.18,-54.919998&spn=14.817703,27.773437&t=h&om=1 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Avião da Gol desaparece na região de Matupá, em Mato Grosso |trans-title=Gol plane disappears near Matupá, Mato Grosso |publisher=Globo G1 |url=http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1291987-5598,00.html |work=G1 |date=29 September 2006 |language=pt-BR |access-date=30 September 2006 |archive-date=22 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022210219/http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0%2C%2CAA1291987-5598%2C00.html |url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Embraer divulga nota sobre acidente que envolveu uma da suas aeronaves |trans-title=Embraer releases statement on accident involving one of its planes |url=http://oglobo.globo.com/economia/mat/2006/09/30/285908150.asp |publisher=Globo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070528181656/http://oglobo.globo.com/economia/mat/2006/09/30/285908150.asp |archive-date=28 May 2007 |work=O Globo |date=30 September 2006 |language=pt}} The left winglet of the Embraer sheared off about half of the 737's left wing (the 737's left engine was unaffected, remaining attached to the wing part that stayed attached to the aircraft), causing the 737 to nosedive and enter an uncontrollable spin, which quickly led to an in-flight breakup. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) cut off at 16:57:47, less than a minute after the collision.{{rp|235}} The interruption was attributed to the loss of electrical power following the in-flight structural breakup of the aircraft at an altitude of approximately {{convert|8000|ft|m|0|abbr=}}.{{rp|63}}

The Boeing 737 eventually crashed into an area of dense rainforest, {{convert|200|km|mi nmi|0|abbr=}} east of the municipality of Peixoto de Azevedo.{{cite web |title=Preliminary Synopsis |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20061002X01435&key=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622055631/https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20061002X01435&key=1 |archive-date=22 June 2013 |access-date=27 September 2014 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board}} All 154 passengers and crew died and the aircraft was destroyed, with the wreckage scattered in pieces around the crash site.{{rp|21–22}}

The Embraer jet was able to continue flying, despite serious damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and left winglet, though its autopilot disengaged and it required an unusual amount of force on the yoke to keep the wings level.{{rp|137}}{{refn |From CENIPA final report, under section 2.2.1 (Damage to airplanes): "The N600XL airplane sustained serious damages in the left wing and in the left stabilizer/elevator assembly".|group=note}}

With radio relay assistance from Polar Air Cargo Flight 71, a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft flying in the area at the time, the Embraer's crew successfully landed the crippled jet at Cachimbo Airport, part of the large military complex Campo de Provas Brigadeiro Velloso, at about {{convert |160|km|mi nmi|sigfig=1|abbr=out}} from the collision point.{{rp|12}}

Passenger and journalist Joe Sharkey described his experience on board the Embraer in an article for The New York Times, titled "Colliding With Death at 37,000 Feet, and Living", filed on 1 October 2006:{{Quotation |And it had been a nice ride. Minutes before we were hit, I had wandered up to the cockpit to chat with the pilots, who said the plane was flying beautifully. I saw the readout that showed our altitude: 37,000 feet. I returned to my seat. Minutes later came the strike (it sheared off part of the plane's tail, too, we later learned).}}

Image:Legacy2 fab.jpg

Image:Legacy1 fab.jpg

Immediately after the Embraer's emergency landing at the Cachimbo air base, Brazilian Air Force and Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC) officials detained and interviewed the flight crew. The two "black boxes"—the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR)—were removed from the Embraer, and sent to São José dos Campos, São Paulo, and from there to Ottawa, Canada,{{rp|62}} at the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) laboratories, for analysis.{{refn|name=canada|Canada was selected by CENIPA as a "neutral site" for the FDR and CVR analysis, due to the sensitive political aspects of this investigation.|group="note"}}{{cite web |author=Donati, Leo |url=http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/blogue-blog/2014/20140604.htm?wbdisable=true |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190311120401/http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/blogue-blog/2014/20140604.htm?wbdisable=true |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 March 2019 |title=The Real CSI: Inside the TSB Laboratory |publisher=Transportation Safety Board of Canada |date=2014-06-04 |access-date=2019-03-11 |quote=The TSB lab situated beside the Ottawa International Airport [...]}} - [http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/communiques/autres-other/2014/po-do-2014-20140605.asp Address] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210073604/http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/communiques/autres-other/2014/po-do-2014-20140605.asp |date=10 December 2015 }}: "Transportation Safety Board of Canada Engineering Laboratory 1901 Research Road Building U-100 Ottawa, Ontario"

In an initial deposition, the Embraer flight crew testified that they were cleared to flight level 370, about {{convert|37000|ft|m|0}} above mean sea level, by Brasília ATC, and were level at that assigned altitude when the collision occurred. They also asserted that they had lost contact with Brasília ATC at the time of the collision, and their anticollision system did not alert them to any oncoming traffic.{{cite news |url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u392030.shtml |title=Legacy estava sem contato com a torre de controle |trans-title=Legacy was without contact with air traffic controllers |date=3 October 2006 |language=pt |work=Folha de S.Paulo |access-date=28 July 2009 |archive-date=20 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920045533/https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u392030.shtml |url-status=live}}

On 2 October 2006, the Embraer's captain and first officer were ordered by the Mato Grosso Justice Tribunal to surrender their passports pending further investigation. The request, made by the Peixoto de Azevedo prosecutor,{{cite news |date=2 October 2006 |title=Pilotos do Legacy estão proibidos de deixar o Brasil |trans-title=Legacy pilots forced to remain in Brazil |url=http://www.mp.mt.gov.br/noticias.php?IDCanal=&IDSubCanal=MTY=&view=MjQzNg== |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418074956/http://www.mp.mt.gov.br/noticias.php?IDCanal=&IDSubCanal=MTY%3D&view=MjQzNg%3D%3D |archive-date=18 April 2008 |access-date=2 October 2006 |publisher=Public Prosecutor's Office of the State of Mato Grosso |language=pt}} was granted by Judge Tiago Sousa Nogueira e Abreu, who stated that the possibility of pilot error on the part of the Embraer crew could not be ruled out.{{cite news |title=Justiça manda apreender passaportes de pilotos do Legacy |trans-title=Court orders Legacy pilots to surrender passports |url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u126622.shtml |work=Folha de S.Paulo |date=2 October 2006 |language=pt |access-date=3 October 2006 |archive-date=23 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323170706/http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u126622.shtml |url-status=live}} The Embraer crew was forced to remain in Brazil until their passports were released to them more than two months after the accident, after a federal judge ruled that no legal grounds existed for "restricting the freedom of motion of the foreigners."{{cite news |last1=Prada |first1=Paulo |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04E7DA1631F935A35751C1A9609C8B63 |title=Brazil Court Gives Police 3 Days to Free U.S. Pilots in Crash Inquiry |date=6 December 2006 |work=The New York Times |access-date=3 May 2010 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=8 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108004919/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04E7DA1631F935A35751C1A9609C8B63 |url-status=live}}

Prior to their scheduled departure to the United States, the crew was formally charged by Brazilian Federal Police with "endangering an aircraft", which carries a penalty up to 12 years in prison. The two pilots had to explain why they had not switched on the transponder.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/08/world/americas/08iht-plane.3836464.html |date=8 December 2006 |title=U.S. pilots charged in Brazilian plane crash |work=The New York Times |access-date=16 February 2017 |archive-date=5 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005000542/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/08/world/americas/08iht-plane.3836464.html |url-status=live}} They were allowed to leave the country after signing a document promising to return to Brazil for their trials or when required by Brazilian authorities. They picked up their passports and flew back to the U.S.{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-12-09-brazil-pilots_x.htm |title=Pilots in Brazil crash return to U.S. |date=9 December 2006 |agency=Associated Press |work=USA Today |access-date=29 August 2017 |archive-date=22 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622115146/http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-12-09-brazil-pilots_x.htm |url-status=live}}

File:Caixa-Preta GOL.jpg|alt=Three men, one of whom is holding a partially mangled red metal box]]

The Brazilian Air Force (the Força Aérea Brasileira or "FAB") sent five fixed-wing aircraft and three helicopters to the region for an extensive search and rescue (SAR) operation. As many as 200 personnel were reported to be involved in the operation, among them a group of Kayapo people familiar with the forest.{{cite news |title=Índios ajudam a resgatar vítimas de acidente com avião, o pior ocorrido no Brasil |trans-title=Natives assist in victim search; worst occurrence in Brazil's history |url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u126564.shtml |work=Folha de S.Paulo |date=1 October 2006 |language=pt |access-date=1 October 2006 |archive-date=10 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061110060021/http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u126564.shtml |url-status=live}} The crash site of Gol Flight 1907 was spotted on 30 September by the air force, at coordinates,{{cite news |title=Não há sobreviventes em acidente com o avião da Gol, diz Aeronáutica |trans-title=Aviation officials: there are no survivors in Gol plane accident |url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u126539.shtml |work=Folha de S.Paulo |date=30 September 2006 |language=pt-BR |access-date=30 September 2006 |archive-date=26 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061026102651/http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u126539.shtml |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}} {{convert|200|km|mi nmi|abbr=}} east of Peixoto de Azevedo, near Fazenda Jarinã, a cattle ranch.{{cite news |title=Destroços de avião da Gol indicam queda vertical |trans-title=Gol plane wreckage indicates vertical dive |url=http://noticias.uol.com.br/ultnot/2006/09/30/ult27u58054.jhtm |work=Folha de S.Paulo |date=30 September 2006 |language=pt |access-date=30 September 2006 |archive-date=27 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527100649/http://noticias.uol.com.br/ultnot/2006/09/30/ult27u58054.jhtm |url-status=live}} Rescue personnel reportedly were having difficulty reaching the crash site due to the dense forest.{{Cite episode |title=Phantom Strike |episode-link=List of Mayday episodes#ep45 |series=Mayday |publisher=Cineflix |publication-place=Montreal |network=Discovery Channel Canada et al |season=5 |number=10 |date=2008-06-11}} The Brazilian airport operating company, Infraero, at first indicated the possibility of five survivors, but a later statement from the Brazilian Air Force, based on data collected by their personnel, who rappelled to the crash site, and local police who assisted in the SAR effort, confirmed no survivors.{{cite news |title=FAB diz que não há sobreviventes |trans-title=Air force says there are no survivors in the Gol flight |url=http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1292495-5598,00.html |work=G1 |date=30 September 2006 |language=pt |access-date=30 September 2006 |archive-date=2 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080202035220/http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1292495-5598,00.html |url-status=live}} Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared three days of national mourning.{{cite news |title=Lula declara luto nacional |trans-title=Lula declares national mourning |url=http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1292476-5598,00.html |work=O Globo |date=30 September 2006 |language=pt |access-date=30 September 2006 |archive-date=4 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104040452/http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1292476-5598,00.html |url-status=live}}

Image:GravadoVoz.jpg memory module was found embedded in the soil, after four weeks of intensive searching.{{refn|The French text reads "FLIGHT RECORDER DO NOT OPEN."|group=note}}|alt=A red palm-sized cylindrical metal container, lying in a shallow freshly dug hole in the ground, is labeled "ENREGISTREUR DE VOL / NE PAS OUVRIR".]]

The FDR and a nondata part of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the Boeing 737 were found on 2 October and handed over to the investigators, who sent them to the TSB for analysis.{{refn|name=canada|group=note}}{{cite news |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-20065366_ITM |title=Recordings key to fate of LI pilots: Cockpit voices in collision sent to Canada for analysis; Brazil ready to blame fliers. |work=Newsday |location=Melville, NY |date=12 October 2006 |first=Bill |last=Bleyer}}{{cite news |url=http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1295444-5598,00.html |title=Aeronáutica encontra caixas-pretas do Boeing da Gol |trans-title=Air Force recovers black boxes from Gol Boeing |work=O Globo |date=2 October 2006 |language=pt |access-date=2 October 2006 |archive-date=3 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061103040143/http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1295444-5598,00.html |url-status=live}} On 4 October, the recovery crews began moving the bodies to the temporary base established at the nearby Jarinã ranch. The FAB deployed a C-115 Buffalo aircraft to transport the bodies to Brasília for identification.{{cite web |url=http://www.fab.mil.br/imprensa/Noticias/2006/10_out/0410_boletim18h.htm |title=Brazilian Air Force press release |publisher=Força Aérea Brasileira (Brazilian Air Force) |date=4 October 2006 |access-date=25 June 2009 |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022183338/http://www.fab.mil.br/imprensa/Noticias/2006/10_out/0410_boletim18h.htm |archive-date=22 October 2006}}

On 25 October, after nearly four weeks of intensive searching in the jungle by about 200 Brazilian Army troops equipped with metal detectors, the memory module of the Boeing's cockpit voice recorder was found.{{rp|64}} The module was discovered intact, separated from other wreckage pieces, embedded in about {{convert|20|cm|in|0}} of soil, and was also sent for analysis by the TSB in Canada.{{cite web |url=http://www.anac.gov.br/imprensa/gravadorVoz.asp |title=Gravador de Voz – Vôo 1907 |publisher=ANAC |language=pt |trans-title=Voice Recorder – Flight 1907 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111213959/http://www.anac.gov.br/imprensa/gravadorVoz.asp |archive-date=11 November 2007 |access-date=25 April 2007}}{{cite web |title=Últimas informações sobre as caixas pretas e o trabalho da comissão de investigação |trans-title=Latest update on the black boxes and investigation commission work |url=http://www.anac.gov.br/imprensa/vooGol14.asp |publisher=ANAC |date=3 October 2006 |access-date=15 June 2009 |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111215909/http://www.anac.gov.br/imprensa/vooGol14.asp |archive-date=11 November 2007}} The recovery teams worked intensively for nearly seven weeks in a dense jungle environment, searching for and identifying the victims' remains. All the victims had been recovered and identified by DNA testing by 22 November.{{cite news |title=IML confirma identificação da última vítima da queda do Boeing da Gol |trans-title=IML confirms identification of last Gol Boeing victim |date=22 November 2006 |work=Folha de S.Paulo |language=pt |url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u128494.shtml |access-date=22 November 2006 |archive-date=17 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017193027/http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u128494.shtml |url-status=live}}

File:IFR high altitude en route chart - Brasilia - UW2, UZ6 airways.jpg high altitude en route chart section of Brasília area, depicting UW2, UZ6 airways|alt=An aviation instrument-flying chart, showing, among many others, lines representing the airways flown by the Legacy jet.]]

The accident was investigated by the Brazilian Air Force's Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). In accordance with the provisions of ICAO Annex 13, the NTSB participated in the investigation as representative for the state (country) of manufacture of the Boeing, state of registry and operator of the Embraer, and state of manufacture of the Honeywell avionics equipment installed in both planes.

Once the black boxes and communication transcripts were obtained, the investigators interviewed the Legacy jet's flight crew and the air traffic controllers, trying to piece together the scenario that allowed two modern jet aircraft, equipped with the latest anticollision gear, to collide with each other while on instrument flights in positive control airspace.{{cite thesis|last=Lima|first=Henrique Saldanha|title=Responsabilização civil e os princípios constitucionais: um estudo comparativo entre o Código de Defesa do Consumidor e o Código Brasileiro de Aeronáutica à luz dos acidentes GOL 1907 e TAM 3054.|publisher=University Center of Brasília|date=25 January 2025|url=https://repositorio.uniceub.br/jspui/handle/prefix/17566|language=pt|access-date=6 July 2025}}

The Embraer's flight plan consisted of flying at FL370 to Brasília,{{refn|FL370 is flight level 370, which is an altitude around {{convert|37,000|ft|m|0}} above mean sea level.{{rp|135}}|group=note}} on airway UW2, followed by a planned descent at Brasília to FL360 (about {{convert|36000|ft|m|0|disp=sqbr}}), proceeding outbound from Brasília northwest-bound along airway UZ6 to the Teres fix, an aeronautical waypoint located {{convert|282|nmi|mi km|0}} northwest of Brasília, where a climb to FL380 (about {{convert|38000|ft|m|0|disp=sqbr}}) was planned.{{cite web|title=NTSB Issues Update On Its Investigation Of Brazilian Midair|website=Aero-News Network|date=22 November 2006|url=https://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=F8657989-821B-4E5E-970D-9F631ABBFDA3|access-date=6 July 2025}} According to the filed flight plan, the Embraer was scheduled to have been level at FL380, proceeding towards Manaus, while passing the eventual collision point, which was about {{convert|307|km|mi nmi|0}} northwest of Teres.{{cite web|title=Plano de vôo mostra que Legacy estava na altitude errada|publisher=G1|date=9 October 2006|url=https://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,AA1304734-5598,00.html|language=pt|access-date=6 July 2025}}

The Embraer's crew asserted in their depositions and subsequent interviews that they were cleared by ATC to FL370 for the entire trip, all the way to Manaus.{{rp|196}} The actual transcript of the clearance given to the Embraer's crew prior to takeoff at São José dos Campos at 14:41:57, as later released by CENIPA, was:{{rp|195}}

November Six Zero Zero Xray Lima, ATC clearance to Eduardo Gomes, flight level three seven zero direct Poços de Caldas, squawk transponder code four five seven four, after take-off perform Oren departure.

The Embraer's crew's altitude clearance to FL370 was further confirmed after their handoff to Brasília, during which they had the following radio exchange with ATC at 15:51.{{rp|99}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/mp3/ontheweb/0812-aircrash-excel.mp3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614231353/http://www.vanityfair.com/mp3/ontheweb/0812-aircrash-excel.mp3 |archive-date=14 June 2011 |title=Embraer's CVR Audio |magazine=Vanity Fair |access-date=11 June 2009}} (last ATC two-way comm at 17:55 on MP3 clip)

This was the last two-way radio communication between the Embraer's crew and ATC prior to the collision.{{rp|40}}

Image:Gol1907pres.jpg

The Embraer took off from São José dos Campos at 14:51, reaching FL370 at 15:33, 42 minutes later, where it remained until the collision.{{rp|39–41}}

ATC maintained normal two-way radio contact with the Embraer until 15:51, when the last successful radio exchange with the Embraer was made on VHF frequency 125.05 MHz with Brasília Center.{{refn|Brasília Area Control Center is designated as ACC BS.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}|group=note}}{{rp|199}} At that point, the Embraer was just approaching the Brasília VOR.{{rp|205}}{{refn|The VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) transmitter installation is a defined waypoint, underlying the airway.|group=note}} The Embraer overflew the Brasília VOR at 15:55, four minutes later, and proceeded northwest-bound along UZ6.{{rp|205}} At 16:02, seven minutes after crossing the Brasília VOR, secondary radar contact was lost with the Embraer, thus stopping the display of the Embraer's reported altitude (mode C) on the controller's radar screen.{{rp|209}}{{refn|*As was later revealed in CENIPA's final report, the military controller's screen automatically reverted to displaying an unreliable altitude, normally used for air defense, derived from the primary radar detected range and the target's angle above the horizon.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}

• CENIPA hypothesizes in its final report that, at this point, the Embraer's captain inadvertently deactivated the transponder. The captain has denied this in depositions and interviews.{{rp|242–247}}|group=note}}

No attempt was made by either the Embraer or Brasília Center to contact each other from 15:51 until 16:26, when, 24 minutes after the loss of secondary radar contact,{{refn|Loss of secondary radar indicates to a controller that the aircraft's transponder signal is not being received by ATC.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}|group=note}} Brasília Center called the Embraer and received no reply.{{rp|220}}

Brasília Center then unsuccessfully attempted to contact the Embraer six more times, between 16:30 and 16:34. At 16:30, the Embraer's primary radar target became intermittent, and disappeared completely from the radar screen by 16:38. Brasília Center unsuccessfully attempted to effect a handoff of the Embraer to Amazonic Center at 16:53, by calling the Embraer in the blind.{{rp|223-226}}{{refn|*A handoff in aviation parlance refers to the transfer of responsibility for an aircraft under radar control from one controller to the next.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}

• "Calling in the blind" refers to making radio transmissions without receiving any acknowledgment.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}
• Amazonic Area Control Center is designated as ACC AZ.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}|group=note}}

File:IFR high altitude en route chart section - Teres - UZ6 airway and Cachimbo airbase.jpg high-altitude en route chart section of Teres fix area, depicting UZ6 airway and Cachimbo air base; crash site is between Nabol and Istar fixes on UZ6|alt=Aviation instrument-flying chart showing numerous lines representing airways and intersections, including the location of where the collision occurred, northwest of Brasília.]]

The Embraer, though, started calling Brasília Center,{{refn|According to CENIPA, the last transmission from ATC that was recorded on the Embraer's CVR was at 16:23:29, about 25 minutes before the Embraer's first officer tried to call ATC.{{rp|103}}|group=note}} also unsuccessfully, from 16:48 and continued with 12 more unsuccessful attempts until 16:53.{{rp|228}} Some limited contact was made at that point, but the Embraer was unable to copy the Amazonic Center frequencies.{{rp|232}}{{refn|To copy in aviation parlance means to understand a received radio transmission.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}|group=note}} The Embraer then continued its attempts to reach Brasília Center, seven more times until the collision.{{rp|229}}

The collision occurred at 16:56:54 BRT (19:56:54 UTC) at FL370,{{rp|105}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/mp3/ontheweb/0812-aircrash-excel.mp3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614231353/http://www.vanityfair.com/mp3/ontheweb/0812-aircrash-excel.mp3 |archive-date=14 June 2011 |title=Embraer's CVR Audio |magazine=Vanity Fair |access-date=11 June 2009}} (collision at 1:23:50 on MP3 clip) and neither TCAS had activated or alerted its respective crew, nor did any crew see the oncoming traffic visually or initiate any evasive action prior to the collision. While both planes were equipped with TCAS, the Embraer's transponder was later determined to have ceased operating almost an hour earlier, at 16:02, rendering both planes unable to automatically detect each other.{{rp|40}}

At 16:59:50, about three minutes after the collision, Amazonic Center started to receive the Embraer's secondary radar reply, with its correct altitude and last assigned code.{{rp|238}}{{refn|CENIPA hypothesizes in its final report that at this point, based on CVR and FDR evidence, the first officer, having just discovered the transponder had been inadvertently switched off, reactivated it. The Embraer's crew have steadfastly denied switching the transponder on or off in depositions and interviews.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}|group=note}} At 17:00:30, Amazonic Center unsuccessfully attempted to contact the Embraer by radio.{{rp|161}}

File:Embraergol737.png

The Embraer started calling on the emergency frequency, 121.5 MHz, immediately after the collision, but as later determined in the CENIPA report, the emergency transceivers in the area were not operational, thus the crew was unable to reach ATC on that frequency.{{rp|61}}

At 17:01:06, the Embraer established contact on the emergency frequency with a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft, Polar 71, which attempted to relay to ATC their request for an emergency landing, and continued to provide relay and translation assistance to the Embraer until its eventual landing.{{rp|240}}

At 17:18:03, the Embraer contacted the Cachimbo Airport control tower directly to coordinate its emergency landing there, and landed safely at Cachimbo at 17:23:00.{{rp|61}}

Gol 1907 took off from Manaus at 15:35, flying southeast-bound along UZ6 and reaching FL370 at 15:58, 23 minutes later, where it remained until the collision. There were no radio or radar contact problems with the flight until its handoff to Brasília Center. No known attempts were made by ATC to warn Flight 1907 of the conflicting traffic.{{rp|234–236}}

On 2 May 2007, the NTSB issued a safety recommendation document that included an interim summary of the investigation, as well as immediate safety recommendations that the NTSB believed should be implemented by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enhance flight safety.{{cite web |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/2007/A07_35_37.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030092638/https://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/2007/A07_35_37.pdf |archive-date=30 October 2008 |title=NTSB Safety Recommendation |access-date=18 December 2008 |date=2 May 2007 |publisher=NTSB}} The NTSB reported that the Embraer apparently experienced a TCAS outage, unknown to its flight crew prior to the collision, according to the CVR:

Preliminary findings in the ongoing investigation indicate that, for reasons yet to be determined, the collision avoidance system in the Legacy airplane was not functioning at the time of the accident, thereby disabling the system’s ability to detect and be detected by conflicting traffic. In addition, CVR data indicate that the flight crew was unaware that the collision avoidance system was not functioning until after the accident.

The NTSB added that the design of the Embraer's avionics is such that the nonfunctioning of the TCAS that apparently occurred is shown by a small static white text message, which may not be noticeable by the flight crew.{{rp|256}} The NTSB also noted:

Using only static text messages to indicate a loss of collision avoidance system functionality is not a reliable means to capture pilots’ attention because these visual warnings can be easily overlooked if pilots’ attention is directed elsewhere in the flight environment.

Based on its observations, the NTSB recommended to the FAA that design changes be implemented to improve the noticeability of TCAS announcements, and that the FAA advise pilots of all aircraft types to familiarize themselves with the details of this accident, with the ways in which a pilot could inadvertently cause the loss of transponder and/or TCAS function, and how to recognize a loss of function.{{cite web |url=https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/SAFO07005.pdf |title=SAFO 07005 Embraer Legacy/EBB-135, -140, -145 – Be Careful Where You Put Your Foot |work=Federal Aviation Administration |date=3 July 2007 |access-date=29 August 2023 |archive-date=29 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829204147/https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/SAFO07005.pdf |url-status=live}}

File:Gol1907-relative.jpg.|alt=A distraught woman talks into a microphone with her eyes closed, surrounded by reporters. On the front of the woman's white T-shirt is a printed color portrait of a smiling man. Next to her stands a younger woman with her head down.]]

On 10 December 2008, more than two years after the accident, CENIPA issued its final report, describing its investigation, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.{{cite report |date=8 December 2008 |title=FINAL REPORT A-022/CENIPA/2008 |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/Aviation/Brazil-CENIPA/Midair_Collision_Final_Report_1907_English_version.pdf |work=Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center |language= |location= |publisher= |id=A-00X/CENIPA/2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604124906/https://www.ntsb.gov/Aviation/Brazil-CENIPA/Midair_Collision_Final_Report_1907_English_version.pdf |archive-date=4 June 2011 |access-date=11 June 2009 |via=the National Transportation Safety Board}} The CENIPA report includes a "Conclusions" section that summarizes the known facts and lists a variety of contributing factors relating both to air traffic controllers and to the Legacy jet's flight crew.{{cite web |url=http://www.transportabrasil.com.br/2008/12/falhas-de-pilotos-e-controladores-de-voo-resultaram-em-acidente-da-gol/ |publisher=Agencia Brasil |title=Falhas de pilotos e controladores de vôo resultaram em acidente da Gol |trans-title=Gol accident caused by pilot and controller errors |language=pt |date=10 December 2008 |access-date=11 June 2009 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002339/http://www.transportabrasil.com.br/2008/12/falhas-de-pilotos-e-controladores-de-voo-resultaram-em-acidente-da-gol/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://origin.foxnews.com/wires/2008Dec10/0,4670,LTBrazilPlaneCrash,00.html |title=Pilots and controllers blamed for Brazil crash |work=AP on Fox News |date=10 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711022308/http://origin.foxnews.com/wires/2008Dec10/0,4670,LTBrazilPlaneCrash,00.html |archive-date=11 July 2011}} According to CENIPA, the air traffic controllers contributed to the accident by originally issuing an improper clearance to the Embraer, and not catching or correcting the mistake during the subsequent handoff to Brasília Center or later on. CENIPA also found errors in the way the controllers handled the loss of radar and radio contact with the Embraer.{{rp|41}}

CENIPA concluded that the ExcelAire pilots also contributed to the accident with, among other things, their failure to recognize that their transponder was inadvertently switched off, thereby disabling the collision avoidance system on both aircraft, as well as their overall insufficient training and preparation.{{rp|258–259}}{{cite news |url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u477668.shtml |title=Cenipa apresenta relatório final do acidente aéreo da Gol; leia o relatório |trans-title=CENIPA presents final report of the Gol aviation accident; read the report |date=10 December 2008 |work=Folha de S.Paulo |language=pt |access-date=24 December 2009 |archive-date=24 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424221705/http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u477668.shtml |url-status=live}}

The NTSB issued its own report on the accident, which was also appended to the CENIPA report with the following probable cause statement:{{cite web |url=https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=64621 |title=NTSB interim and final report links |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604115659/https://www.ntsb.gov/Aviation/Brazil-CENIPA.htm |archive-date=4 June 2011 |access-date=11 June 2009}}

The evidence collected during this investigation strongly supports the conclusion that this accident was caused by N600XL and GOL1907 following ATC clearances, which directed them to operate in opposite directions on the same airway at the same altitude resulting in a midair collision. The loss of effective air traffic control was not the result of a single error, but of a combination of numerous individual and institutional ATC factors, which reflected systemic shortcomings in emphasis on positive air traffic control concepts.

The NTSB further added these contributing factors:{{Cn|date=April 2025}}

Contributing to this accident was the undetected loss of functionality of the airborne collision

avoidance system technology as a result of the inadvertent inactivation of the transponder on board N600XL. Further contributing to the accident was inadequate communication between ATC and the N600XL flight crew.

CENIPA and the NTSB collaborated in the accident investigation, and while agreeing on most of the basic facts and findings, the two organizations arrived at conflicting interpretations and conclusions. The CENIPA report concluded that the accident was caused by mistakes made both by ATC and the ExcelAire pilots, whereas the NTSB report focused on the controllers and the ATC system, concluding that both flight crews acted properly, but were placed on a collision course by the ATC.{{cite news |url=http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/ntsb-cenipa-at-odds-over-midair-accident-report/ |work=AIN Online |title=NTSB, Cenipa at Odds over Midair Accident Report |date=11 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090112215826/http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/ntsb-cenipa-at-odds-over-midair-accident-report/ |archive-date=12 January 2009}}{{cite news |url=http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=738e78f6-a93e-44bb-a7ef-08c9c99fed06&Dynamic=1 |title=NTSB, Brazilian Officials Differ on Blame For 2006 Midair |date=11 December 2008 |work=Aero-News |access-date=16 December 2008 |archive-date=24 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524111058/http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=738e78f6-a93e-44bb-a7ef-08c9c99fed06&Dynamic=1 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |date=8 November 2008 |title=NTSB: Loss of 'effective air traffic control' at root of 2006 Legacy 600, Gol 737 collision |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/12/11/320034/ntsb-loss-of-effective-air-traffic-control-at-root-of-2006-legacy-600-gol-737.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412003059/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/12/11/320034/ntsb-loss-of-effective-air-traffic-control-at-root-of-2006-legacy-600-gol-737.html |archive-date=12 April 2010 |access-date=24 December 2009 |work=FlightGlobal |publisher=Flight International}}{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightsafety.org/asw/feb09/asw_feb09.pdf |last=Lacagnina |first=Mark |title=Midair over the Amazon |journal=AeroSafety World |date=February 2009 |page=11 |access-date=6 January 2010 |archive-date=22 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922175737/http://flightsafety.org/asw/feb09/asw_feb09.pdf |url-status=live}}

According to Aviation Week, "the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) strongly disagreed with the Brazilian conclusions regarding the Legacy pilots' actions as a causal factor, noting, 'The crew flew the route precisely as cleared and complied with all ATC instructions,' as did the GOL airlines crew." Aviation Week adds that "the Brazilian military operates that country's air traffic control system, conducted the investigation, and authored the report."

Image:2225FP526.jpg enquiring about delayed flights]]

{{main|2006–2007 Brazilian aviation crisis}}

The crash of Flight 1907 precipitated a major crisis in Brazil's civil aviation system, which included lengthy flight delays and cancellations, ATC work-to-rule slowdowns and strikes, and public-safety concerns about Brazil's airport and air traffic infrastructure.{{cite magazine |last=Downie |first=Andrew |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1572437,00.html |title=Are U.S. Pilots Being Made Scapegoats in Brazil? |date=21 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061224043015/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1572437,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 December 2006 |location=Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |magazine=Time}}

Historically, Brazil was ruled by its armed forces from 1964 until 1985.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1231075.stm |title=Timeline: Brazil – A chronology of key events |work=BBC News |access-date=24 June 2009 |date=20 November 2009 |archive-date=25 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225100635/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1231075.stm |url-status=live}} Since then, a civilian government has taken over, but the country's airways ({{as of|2018|lc=y}}) continue to be controlled and operated by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) via their Department of Airspace Control ({{Langx|pt|Departamento de Controle do Espaço Aéreo}} (DECEA)), overseen by a civilian defense minister.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Linha do Tempo |trans-title=Timeline |url=https://www.decea.mil.br/?i=quem-somos&p=linha-do-tempo |access-date= |website= |publisher=Department of Airspace Control |language=pt |archive-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127075605/https://www.decea.mil.br/?i=quem-somos&p=linha-do-tempo |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://dialogo-americas.com/articles/brazilian-air-force-oversees-national-air-traffic-control/ |title=Brazilian Air Force Oversees National Air Traffic Control |date=26 April 2018 |access-date=23 April 2021 |archive-date=23 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423232549/https://dialogo-americas.com/articles/brazilian-air-force-oversees-national-air-traffic-control/ |url-status=live}} Most of Brazil's air traffic controllers are military non-commissioned officers, and all area control centers are run by the FAB.{{cite news |url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0708/S00552.htm |title=Brazilian Aviation Crisis – Governmental Failure? |work=Scoop Online |date=22 August 2007 |access-date=12 June 2009 |archive-date=5 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505054943/http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0708/S00552.htm |url-status=live}}

File:Waldir Pires1.jpg was accused of mismanaging Brazil's air traffic system.]]

In October 2006, as details surrounding the crash of Flight 1907 began to emerge, the investigation seemed to be at least partly focused on possible ATC errors. This led to increasing resentment by the controllers and exacerbated their already poor labor relations with their military superiors.{{cite news |url=http://us.ft.com/ftgateway/superpage.ft?news_id=fto040420071734361103 |title=Brazilian aviation in chaos |work=Financial Times |date=4 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110901005509/http://us.ft.com/ftgateway/superpage.ft?news_id=fto040420071734361103 |archive-date=1 September 2011}} The controllers complained about being overworked, underpaid, overstressed, and forced to work with outdated equipment. Many have poor English skills, limiting their ability to communicate with foreign pilots, which played a role in the crash of Flight 1907.{{rp|122–126}} In addition, the military's complete control of the country's aviation was criticized for its lack of public accountability.{{cite news |url=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N17283060.htm |title=Factbox – Brazil's deepening aviation crisis |agency=Reuters |date=18 July 2007 |access-date=22 June 2009 |archive-date=12 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912213826/http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N17283060.htm |url-status=live}}

Amid rising tensions, the air traffic controllers began staging a series of work actions, including slowdowns, walkouts, and even a hunger strike. This led to chaos in Brazil's aviation industry – major delays and disruptions in domestic and international air service, stranded passengers, cancelled flights, and public demonstrations. Those who blamed various civilian and military officials for the growing crisis called for their resignations.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1606434,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070411000828/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1606434,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 April 2007 |title=The Chaos in Brazil's Blue Skies |magazine=Time |date=3 April 2007 |first=Andrew |last=Downie}}

On 26 July 2007, following an even deadlier crash on 17 July (TAM Airlines Flight 3054) that killed 199 people, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva fired his defense minister, Waldir Pires, who had been in charge of the country's aviation infrastructure and safety since March 2006, and was widely criticized for their failures.See for example:

• {{cite news |date=25 July 2007 |title=Brazil's defence minister fired |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6915977.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623005804/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6915977.stm |archive-date=23 June 2018 |access-date=4 January 2010 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}
• {{cite news |last=Clendenning |first=Alan |date=25 July 2007 |title=Brazil Aviation Chief Fired |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/25/AR2007072501058_pf.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108074951/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/25/AR2007072501058_pf.html |archive-date=8 November 2012 |access-date=3 May 2010 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}
• {{cite news |date=27 July 2007 |title=Brazil crashes claim minister |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22139882-2703,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121215172421/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22139882-2703,00.html |archive-date=15 December 2012 |work=The Australian}} On the same day, Lula appointed former Supreme Court president Nelson Jobim to replace Pires, and vowed to improve Brazil's ATC system.{{cite news |url=http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070020311 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904144437/http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070020311 |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 September 2012 |title=Lula vows to fix aviation system |work=AP on NDTV |date=26 July 2007}}

On 6 November 2006, the families of 10 of the deceased filed a lawsuit for negligence against ExcelAire and Honeywell, alleging that the ExcelAire pilots were flying at an "incorrect altitude" and that the Honeywell transponder was not functioning at the time of the collision.{{cite news |date=6 November 2006 |title=US firms sued over Brazil crash |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6123030.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100122063328/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6123030.stm |archive-date=22 January 2010 |access-date=4 January 2010 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC}} Other suits were subsequently filed on behalf of other victims, with similar allegations against ExcelAire and Honeywell.{{cite news |url=http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=900005552066 |title=New Lawsuit Alleges Design Defect, Negligence in Brazil Crash |date=13 November 2006 |work=AP on law.com |access-date=10 June 2009 |archive-date=11 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111045134/https://www.law.com/?id=900005552066&slreturn=20240010235133 |url-status=live}} The victims' families also filed suits against other U.S.-based defendants, including the two Embraer pilots, as well as Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Amazon Tech (manufacturers of Brazil's ATC equipment), and ACSS (manufacturer of the Embraer's TCAS).

The attorney representing the Embraer crew, Miami-based Robert Torricella, responded to the allegation that the crew was flying at an "incorrect altitude" by stating that according to international regulations, clearances and directives issued by ATC supersede a previously filed flight plan, and in this case:{{cite news |url=http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=ee81d271-d7e1-4c15-bf92-14c06ab16acb |title=ExcelAire: Lawsuits Regarding Gol Jet Accident Premature |date=9 November 2006 |publisher=aero-news.net |access-date=10 November 2006 |archive-date=26 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926235258/http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=ee81d271-d7e1-4c15-bf92-14c06ab16acb |url-status=live}}

... the flight plan cleared by air traffic control at the time of departure required the Embraer to fly all the way to Manaus at 37,000 feet, and absent contrary directives from air traffic control, the Embraer was obligated to follow its cleared flight plan. As the findings of the investigation are made public, we are confident that ExcelAire's pilots will be exonerated.

A Honeywell spokesperson stated, "Honeywell is not aware of any evidence that indicates that its transponder on the Embraer Legacy was not functioning as designed or that Honeywell was responsible for the accident."{{cite news |title=Lawsuit Blames Device Manufacturer, Airline for Brazil Crash |url=http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=900005551961 |work=AP on law.com |date=7 November 2006 |access-date=10 June 2009 |archive-date=11 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111045034/https://www.law.com/?id=900005551961&slreturn=20240010235031 |url-status=live}}

On 2 July 2008, U.S. District Court Judge Brian Cogan of the Eastern District of New York dismissed the families' suits against all the U.S.-based defendants under the premise of forum non-conveniens. Without ruling on the merits of the cases, and while allowing discovery to continue, Cogan recommended the Brazilian court system as a more appropriate jurisdiction for the dispute.{{cite web |url=http://www.nyed.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions/07md1844mdo.pdf |title=Memorandum Decision and Order |date=2 July 2008 |access-date=17 October 2012 |publisher=U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York |archive-date=29 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429221641/http://www.nyed.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions/07md1844mdo.pdf |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/trial-procedure-judges/12059851-1.html |publisher=Rochester Daily Record on allbusiness.com |title=Brazilian air crash case dismissed by U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York |date=16 July 2008}}

On 1 June 2007, Murilo Mendes, a Brazilian federal judge in the small city of Sinop, Mato Grosso, near the crash site of the Boeing, indicted the two Embraer pilots and four Brasília-based air traffic controllers for "exposing an aircraft to danger."See for example:

• {{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/world/americas/02pilot.html?_r=1 |title=2 American Pilots Are Indicted in Brazilian Airliner Crash |work=The New York Times |date=2 June 2007 |first1=Matthew L. |last1=Wald |first2=Andrew |last2=Downie |access-date=3 May 2010 |archive-date=29 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230729204631/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/world/americas/02pilot.html?_r=1 |url-status=live}}
• {{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-pilots-indicted-in-brazil-plane-crash/ |title=U.S. Pilots Indicted in Brazil Plane Crash |publisher=Associated Press on CBS News |date=1 June 2007 |access-date=6 April 2010 |archive-date=28 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228055939/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/01/world/main2876690.shtml |url-status=live}}
• {{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02EFDC1E30F930A35753C1A9619C8B63 |title=Brazilian Air Controllers Partly Responsible for Crash, Inquiry Finds |work=The New York Times |date=2 October 2007 |first=Andrew |last=Downie |access-date=3 May 2010 |archive-date=9 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109205906/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02EFDC1E30F930A35753C1A9619C8B63 |url-status=live}}
• {{cite news |title=Justiça aceita denúncia contra controladores e pilotos por queda no voo 1907 |trans-title=Controllers and pilots indicted for flight 1907 crash |url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u301508.shtml |work=Folha de S.Paulo |date=1 June 2007 |language=pt |access-date=6 April 2010 |archive-date=6 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606133205/http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u301508.shtml |url-status=live}}
• {{cite news |title=Controladores depõem na terça-feira sobre acidente com vôo 1907 |trans-title=Controllers testify Thursday about flight 1907 accident |url=http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u322828.shtml |work=Folha de S.Paulo |date=24 August 2007 |language=pt |access-date=6 April 2010 |archive-date=6 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606003901/http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u322828.shtml |url-status=live}} On 8 December 2008, he dismissed charges of negligence against the pilots, but left in place a charge of "imprudence". He also dismissed all charges against two of the four Brasília-based controllers and reduced the charges against the other two, but supported bringing new charges against a fifth controller, based in São José dos Campos, the Embraer's departure point.{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightsafety.org/asw/feb09/asw_feb09.pdf |title=Investigation Turns Criminal |journal=AeroSafety World |date=February 2009 |page=16 |access-date=6 January 2010 |archive-date=22 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922175737/http://flightsafety.org/asw/feb09/asw_feb09.pdf |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://www.ainonline.com/ain-and-ainalerts/ainalerts/single-issue/p/0/m/1/su/661/?no_cache=1 |publisher=AIN Online |date=11 December 2008 |title=Brazilian Judge Clears American Pilots of Carelessness |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206090311/http://www.ainonline.com/ain-and-ainalerts/ainalerts/single-issue/p/0/m/1/su/661/?no_cache=1 |archive-date=6 December 2010}}{{cite news |url=http://www.ibtimes.com.au/articles/20081209/some-charges-out-against-us-pilots-in-amazon-crash.htm |date=9 December 2008 |title=Some charges out against US pilots in Amazon crash |publisher=Associated Press on International Business Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904193634/http://www.ibtimes.com.au/articles/20081209/some-charges-out-against-us-pilots-in-amazon-crash.htm |archive-date=4 September 2012}} On 12 January 2010, his ruling was overturned by Judge Candido Ribeiro in a federal court in Brasília, reinstating the negligence charges against the pilots.{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=9545314 |title=US Pilots Face Negligence Charges in Brazil Crash |date=12 January 2010 |publisher=Associated Press on ABC News |access-date=28 June 2020 |archive-date=10 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210032921/http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=9545314 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/13/content_12800512.htm |title=Brazilian court overturns acquittal of U.S. pilots in 2006 air disaster |date=12 January 2010 |agency=Xinhua News Agency |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609225826/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/13/content_12800512.htm |archive-date=9 June 2011}}

On 26 October 2010, a military court convicted air traffic controller Sgt. Jomarcelo Fernandes dos Santos, sentencing him to 14 months in jail for failing to take action when he saw that the Embraer's anticollision system had been turned off. Santos was to remain free pending the outcome of the appeal process. Four other controllers were acquitted for lack of proof.{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2010/10/27/brazil_air_controller_convicted_over_2006_crash/ |title=Brazil air controller convicted over 2006 crash |work=Boston Globe |date=27 October 2010 |first=Stan |last=Lehman |access-date=23 May 2011 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303203958/http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2010/10/27/brazil_air_controller_convicted_over_2006_crash/ |url-status=live}} On 17 May 2011, Judge Mendes sentenced air traffic controller Lucivando Tiburcio de Alencar to a term of up to three years and four months, but ruled he is eligible to do community service in Brazil, instead, and acquitted Santos on charges of harming Brazil's air transport safety.{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-brazil-crash-conviction-idUKLNE74J01P20110520 |title=Brazil air controller sentenced in 2006 crash case |work=Reuters |date=20 May 2011 |access-date=6 July 2021 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305142035/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-brazil-crash-conviction-idUKLNE74J01P20110520 |url-status=dead}}

On 16 May 2011, Judge Mendes sentenced the two pilots to four years and four months of prison in a "semi-open" facility for their role in the collision, but he commuted the sentences to community service to be served in the United States. Brazilian authorities accused the pilots of turning off the Legacy's transponder moments before the accident and turning it on again only after the crash, but this was denied by the crew in a deposition via videoconference. Mendes said in his sentence that pilots had failed to verify the functioning of equipment for more than an hour, a length of time he called "an eternity" in aviation.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/world/americas/17brazil.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper |title=Pilots Avoid Jail in Brazil Crash |work=The New York Times |date=16 May 2011 |access-date=22 May 2011 |archive-date=11 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811165420/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/world/americas/17brazil.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper |url-status=live}} On 9 October 2012, Brazilian federal prosecutors announced that they had successfully appealed the sentence of the pilots, asking to increase their sentences by 17 months (a total of 5 years and 9 months).{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121009/lt-brazil-plane-crash/ |agency=Associated Press |work=Huffington Post |title=US pilots to be retried for Brazil airline crash |author=Lehman, Stan |date=9 October 2012 |access-date=28 July 2013 |archive-date=22 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222212957/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121009/lt-brazil-plane-crash/ |url-status=live}} The new trial was scheduled for 15 October, with the pilots again facing trial in absentia.{{cite news |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/us-pilots-be-retried-brazil-airline-crash |title=US pilots to be retried for Brazil airline crash |publisher=Big Story, Associated Press |date=9 October 2012 |access-date=28 July 2013 |archive-date=22 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222223429/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/us-pilots-be-retried-brazil-airline-crash |url-status=dead}} On that date, the court upheld the prior convictions, but modified the sentences to 37 months for each, requiring that the pilots "report regularly to authorities and stay home at night."{{cite news |date=15 October 2012 |title=Brazil upholds U.S. pilots' convictions in 2006 air disaster |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-crash-retrial-idUSBRE89F03C20121016 |access-date=6 July 2021 |archive-date=11 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811165712/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-crash-retrial-idUSBRE89F03C20121016 |url-status=live}}

In October 2015 Brazil's Supreme Court rejected the pilots' appeal, ordering them to return to Brazil to serve out their sentences.{{Cite news |date=2015-10-16 |title=Brazil's top court rejects U.S. pilots' appeal in 2006 crash |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2015/10/16/brazils-top-court-rejects-us-pilots-appeal-in-2006-crash/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107022848/https://www.ocregister.com/2015/10/16/brazils-top-court-rejects-us-pilots-appeal-in-2006-crash/ |archive-date=7 January 2022 |access-date=2022-01-07 |work=Orange County Register}}

In 2019, a Brazilian judge ruled that the pilots could serve their sentences in the United States. In March 2020, after exhausting their appeals, Brazil requested their extradition. In 2023, the United States rejected the request.{{Cite news |last=McCoy |first=Terrence |date=2023-10-23 |title=Brazil blames U.S. pilots in crash that killed 154. They're still flying. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/23/gol-flight-1907-brazil-crash/ |access-date=2024-05-04 |work=The Washington Post |archive-date=5 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250205184341/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/23/gol-flight-1907-brazil-crash/ |url-status=live }} On 6 June 2024, another Brazilian judge dismissed the entire case against the pilots because the statute of limitations had expired.{{Cite web |last=Pedicini |first=Richard |date=2024-06-06 |title=Amazon Legacy 600 Midair Collision Case Closed |url=https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2024-06-06/amazon-legacy-600-midair-collision-case-closed |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Aviation International News |archive-date=6 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240606200117/https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2024-06-06/amazon-legacy-600-midair-collision-case-closed |url-status=live }}

The Embraer jet was temporarily repaired on Cachimbo Airport, and on 19 November 2010, the jet was flown to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.{{Cite web |last=Alison Grant |first=The Plain Dealer |date=2010-11-20 |title=Embraer Legacy 600 jet makes journey to Cleveland, years after colliding with jetliner over Brazil |url=https://www.cleveland.com/business/2010/11/embraer_legacy_600_jet_makes_j.html |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=cleveland |language=en |archive-date=26 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226060756/https://www.cleveland.com/business/2010/11/embraer_legacy_600_jet_makes_j.html |url-status=live}}

• List of notable civilian mid-air collisions

{{Reflist|2|group=note}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{commons category|Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907}}

{{external media

|float=right

|width=

|image1=[http://www.airliners.net/search?registrationActual=PR-GTD&display=detail airliners.net's Photo gallery of PR-GTD]|image2=[https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/keyword/PR-GTD jetphotos.com's Photo gallery of PR-GTD]}}

• Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center
• [https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=64621 Full NTSB docket] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20090326032636/http://www.cenipa.aer.mil.br/relatorios/Midair%20Collision%20Final%20Report%20%28English%20version%29.pdf Archive of English report])
• [http://sistema.cenipa.aer.mil.br/cenipa/paginas/relatorios/rf/pt/PR_GTD_N600XL_29_09_06.pdf Final report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116002715/http://sistema.cenipa.aer.mil.br/cenipa/paginas/relatorios/rf/pt/PR_GTD_N600XL_29_09_06.pdf |date=16 November 2021 }} {{in lang|pt}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110724163820/http://www.cenipa.aer.mil.br/cenipa/paginas/relfin/relatorios/pdf/MIDAIRCOLISION_GOL1907_N600XL.pdf Archive])
• [http://www.associacaovoo1907.com/ Associação Familiares e Amigos Vôo 1907] (Family and friends of Flight 1907) {{in lang|pt}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20081205195257/http://www.associacaovoo1907.com/ Archive])
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081211211056/http://www.ntsb.gov/Aviation/Brazil-CENIPA.htm Brazilian CENIPA Issues Accident Report on September 29, 2006 Midair Collision Between Boeing 737-800 and Embraer Legacy 600] (includes to links of the U.S. government response) - National Transportation Safety Board
• [http://www.ifatca.org/press/251106.pdf Statement by the International Federation Of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations, issued 24 November 2006] (PDF) ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070328124842/http://www.ifatca.org/press/251106.pdf Archive])
• [http://www.agenciabrasil.gov.br/galerias-de-fotos/2007/10/02/galeria_de_fotos.2007-10-02.6100270715/view Agencia Brasil slideshow of a memorial ceremony for the passengers on Gol 1907] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706022242/http://www.agenciabrasil.gov.br/galerias-de-fotos/2007/10/02/galeria_de_fotos.2007-10-02.6100270715/view |date=6 July 2008 }} ([https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.agenciabrasil.gov.br/galerias-de-fotos/2007/10/02/galeria_de_fotos.2007-10-02.6100270715/view Archive])
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110614231353/http://www.vanityfair.com/mp3/ontheweb/0812-aircrash-excel.mp3 ExcelAire N600XL Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) audio clip], 72 MB MP3 file, contains entire 2-hour CVR recording; last two-way radio comm before collision at 00:17:55; last radio comm before collision at 1:12:30; collision at 01:23:50.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110614231726/http://www.vanityfair.com/mp3/ontheweb/0812-aircrash-gol.mp3 Gol Transportes Aéreos 1907 Cockpit Voice Recorder audio clip], collision at 29:22 {{in lang|pt}}
• [http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/cotidiano/ult95u126852.shtml List of passengers] at Folha de S. Paulo {{in lang|pt}}

{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Brazil}}

{{Aviation incidents and accidents in 2006}}

{{Portal bar|Aviation|Brazil|United States}}

Category:2006 disasters in Brazil

Category:Aviation accidents and incidents caused by air traffic controller error

Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error

Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2006

Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Brazil

Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Embraer ERJ family

Category:Mid-air collisions involving airliners

Category:Mid-air collisions involving general aviation aircraft

Category:Mid-air collisions in South America

Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 737 Next Generation

1907

Category:September 2006 in South America