Sao Paulo Airport opens after last week’s fatal crash

The deadliest air accident in Brazil’s history occurred last week, when an airbus A320 operated by TAM Airlines overshot the runway and crashed into a fuel depot, killing 199 people.

Both runways at the airport are short in comparison to those at other airports, and authorities have been investigating the crash to see if indeed structural changes may need to be made. The crash occurred in a rainstorm and the plane just landed with too much speed before the crash.

The accident caused anarchy in Brazil’s air traffic and led to the sacking of the defense minister. Airbus spokesmen have not yet released the information learned from the investigation or the contents of the black box on board.

A pilot used to flying the airbus A320 says that if the thrust lever is not idle during landing, then the spoilers and the auto braking system cannot be properly used. Whether this was indeed the cause of the crash is an issue for investigators to decide, and the flight’s data recorder has been analyzed in the United States.

There are still no official statements about the cause, but a statement is expected from authorities as soon as the investigation is complete.

www.tam.com.br