Man survives helicopter crash in Brasilia

A helicopter from the Federal District Fire Department crashed this afternoon in the sattelite-city of Ceilandia, near the federal capital Brasilia, killing three of its four passengers. According to the fire department, the aircraft fell in an isolated area, near a landfill, while it was trying to remove a body that had been found on the spot. The survivor had just left the aircraft, since he was on the ground helping to make sure the body was lifted into the helicopter. Local media report that preliminary findings indicate that the stretcher and blanket used to cover the body became loose thanks to the heavy winds in the area, hitting the helicopter's back rotor and bringing it down. The aircraft exploded when it touched the floor, killing the three firemen that were still inside.

Plane crash kills nearly 200 in Sao Paulo

An Airbus carrying more than 170 people crashed after skidding off a runway at the Congonhas Airport Tuesday evening. It's believed all passengers and more than 20 people who were on the ground were killed in the accident. TAM airline flight 3054 had left Porto Alegre and was landing in Sao Paulo when it skidded off the runway and hit a cargo hangar situated next to it. According to witnesses, it immediately exploded, engulfing the hangar in flames.

Situated in downtown Sao Paulo, the Congonhas runway has often been criticized for being too short and slippery under rainy conditions. It was recently renovated, but critics say the new tarmac had not yet been totally prepared to get rid of excess water quickly enough. On Monday, a smaller plane had already skidded off a runway, stopping in the ditch dividing the two main runways in the airport. It's the second large airplane accident in Brazil in the last ten months. In September, a Gol Airlines Boeing crashed on a smaller plane above the Amazon. All 154 people aboard the Boeing died, while the smaller plane was able to land safely shortly after the mid-air collision.

Brazilian Congress blames American pilots for accident

The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies (Lower House of Congress) has blamed the American pilots of the Legacy jet Joseph Lepore and Jan Paladino, together with four Brazilian air traffic controllers, for the accident between the jet and a Boeing in September 2006. The accident killed 154 people, all aboard the Boeing.

The report was presented today by Congressman Marco Maia, who prepared it for a special Congress Investigation Comission created to study the problems in air travel in the country. After the accident, Brazilians have been experiencing several delays and problems with air travel in the country, with the air traffic control structure being severely questioned by authorities and the general public.