Recognizes Brazil’s Tradition of Investigation Integrity
Alexandria, VA, October 5, 2006 — The Flight Safety Foundation today encouraged Brazilian authorities to continue in their long-standing tradition of thorough aviation accident investigations with minimal interference from law enforcement in the case of the recent tragic accident involving a Gol Airlines aircraft.
“Brazil has always been a shining example of how to investigate an aviation accident or incident,” commented Foundation President and CEO Bill Voss. “Traditionally, the Center for Investigation of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) has conducted investigations with no interference from law enforcement. This allows an efficient investigation to proceed and answers to be found. In the case of clear negligence, appropriate civil and administrative remedies exist to deal with this tragedy after all the facts are in.”
The Brazilian government is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council and was part of the global consensus supporting the amendment to Annex 13 to protect accident investigation from prosecutorial involvement until the investigation is completed. See “FSF Applauds ICAO Amendment to Annex 13, Calls on Member Countries to Support the Action.”
“We call on the Brazilian government to stay strong in the face of immense public pressure and continue to respect the integrity of the investigation and not rush to judge the various players in this accident,” Voss continued. “We join all of Brazil in mourning this terrible loss of life, but strongly urge that the CENIPA be allowed to do its job without interference so that accidents like this can be avoided in the future.”
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Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, auditing, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to pursue the continuous improvement of global aviation safety and the prevention of accidents. www.flightsafety.org
Contact: Emily McGee, 1-703-739-6700, ext. 126; mcgee@flightsafety.org