Lawyers Say Keeping US Pilots in Brazil Is Not Legal

The first official report on the crash of GOL Flight 1907 shows that the business jet that collided with the commercial aircraft was flying at the correct altitude, according to the lawyers for two the US pilots who were flying the smaller aircraft.

The passports of the two American pilots, who work for United States-based ExcelAire, were seized by the Brazilian authorities after the crash on 29 September. The lawyers have demanded their release from Brazil.

Theo Dias, a defence counsel representing the pilots, said that the lawyers are "challenging the continued retention of their passports, which is in violation of the law". Dias said that Brazilian law does not allow people to be detained in cases of a suspected unintentional crime, and bans unequal treatment of Brazilians and foreigners, Reuters reported.

The report on the crash was released by the Brazilian government on 16 November. Investigators must still establish why dozens of radio calls were not answered, why neither aircraft's anti-collision system issued alerts, and why the aircraft were flying towards each other at 37,000 feet.

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