Business & GA

The two ExcelAire Service pilots who had been detained following the September mid-air collision between their Embraer Legacy 600 and a Gol Linhas Aéreas Boeing 737-800 were freed last week by a Brazilian federal court.

Joseph Lepore and Jan Paladino had been stranded in Brazil following the 29 September crash that killed all 154 passengers and crew aboard the Gol flight. Travel restrictions were placed on the two pilots, employees of business jet charter company ExcelAire, as a result of a federal criminal investigation that was under way in parallel with the accident investigation. The tribunal found insufficient reason to retain the pilots. Although the pilots have been cleared to leave the country, criminal charges could still result pending the outcome of investigations.