Story ID: 
FAA Denies Sanctions Against Midair Pilots
By: Chad Trautvetter
Caption: The FAA rejected a request from Brazilian politicians to revoke the pilot certificates of the two U.S.
Word Count: 120
The FAA rejected a request from Brazilian politicians to revoke the pilot certificates of the two U.S. pilots involved in the 2006 midair over the Amazon jungle. According to the FAA, the request was made in Washington by the elected officials and a lawyer representing the families of those who died in the accident; that lawyer is also serving on the Brazilian prosecution team pursuing Jan Paladino and Joseph Lepore, who were at the controls of the Embraer Legacy 600 operated by New York-based ExcelAire when it collided with a Gol Airlines Boeing 737. The airliner crashed, killing all 154 people on board, but the two U.S. pilots were able to land the damaged business jet at a remote Brazilian military base.