Second of two parts.
Although the final accident investigation report on the 2006 collision of a Boeing 737-800 and an Embraer Legacy 600 over the Amazon identifies findings involving communication and language, the report does not draw a connection between inadequate English language proficiency and the communication failures cited as causal factors (see, “Language Gap”).
In particular, there is evidence that air traffic controllers had inadequate English language proficiency and may have experienced a resulting degree of “communication apprehension,” a factor that could explain the otherwise nearly inexplicable failure of at least two controllers to communicate routine, key and required information.
The Legacy pilots, in turn, demonstrated a lack of awareness of their responsibility to adhere to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) language requirements and of the th…
