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Reverse thruster of Brazilian plane was off before accident

One of the two reverse thrusters on an airliner carrying 186 people that crashed in a fireball was turned off when the plane landed, the jet's owner said, as officials tried to determine why it raced down a runway instead of slowing down.

The airline TAM, however, insisted late on Thursday that the thruster, used by jets to slow down just after touching down, had been deactivated earlier in accordance with proper maintenance procedures.

Brazil's Globo TV reported earlier on Thursday that an unidentified problem in the Airbus-320's right reverse thruster emerged four days before the crash and was under investigation by authorities.

TAM did not provide details about the problem, but the airline told Globo TV that Airbus maintenance rules approved by Brazilian aviation officials say the type of problem found must be inspected within 10 days and that the planes can fly in the interim.

Meanwhile, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was expected to finally address Brazil's deadliest air tragedy in a televised speech to the nation yesterday evening.

His government had come under fire for failing to deal with the nation's glaring air travel safety problems despite obvious warnings. His only words since the plane exploded on Tuesday night was a brief statement of condolences issued hours later.

The TAM Linhas Aereas SA jet had 186 people aboard, all of whom are presumed dead, and at least three people died on the ground after it slammed into a building owned by the airline, causing explosions and a fire that was still smoldering two days later.

The president, who gives frequent and lengthy addresses, has since been holed up in the presidential palace in Brasilia, huddling with advisers and canceling public appearances.

"Where is the president who loves to give speeches?" political commentator Lucia Hippolito asked.

As prosecutors sought on Thursday to close the airport where the crash happened amid claims its short runway was a factor in the accident, critics blamed Lula for failing to push forward a plan to solve problems ranging from an underfunded air traffic control system to deficient radars and investment in airport infrastructure.

The opposition Social Democratic Party complained in a statement that Lula "hasn't appeared publicly to express his sorrow, or to give solidarity to the families of the victims and explain what measures are being taken" to prevent similar accidents.

Authorities struggled to determine why the TAM jet raced down the runway after landing instead of slowing down.

Airport video showed TAM Flight 3054 from Porto Alegre speeding on the rain-slicked tarmac more than four times as fast as planes landing around the same time, raising the possibility of pilot or mechanical error instead of a slick runway.

The Airbus-320 then appeared to take off again and flew just above cars in rush hour traffic before slamming into a building.

Brigadier Jose Carlos Pereira, president of the national airport authority, said authorities must wait for an analysis of the black box to explain what happened.
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