Sergeant José Ramos served for many years on the BA11 (Beja). The Air Force “hid” the fact and the authorities did not assume the act because it was a commercial flight. Military could have been arrested.
it was there 20 years that a Portuguese, Air Base military air controller (BA) 4 on the slabs, Terceira Island, saved 306 people who came aboard an Airbus A330, of Air Transat of Canada by gliding the aircraft that ran out of fuel over the Atlantic. It was the longest gliding flight in the history of commercial aviation, on a flight without engines that lasted about half an hour, along 120 kilometers (62 miles).
Jose Ramos, then first sergeant of the Portuguese Air Force (FAP), now with 60 years old and already retired, reminded Lidador Notícias (LN) that day 21 August 2001 and it was peremptory: "today I did exactly the same, including all the illegalities that could have landed me in prison". not holding a grudge against anyone, the ex-military man criticizes the way he was treated by the various authorities in the aeronautical sector, including the Air Force "who did not recognize the work done and did everything to hide the case".
The Air Transat flight 236 came from Toronto and was destined for Lisbon, but at some point it runs out of fuel to reach the then Portela Airport. to the pilot, Robert Piché, the first idea that came up was to love in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, with unpredictable consequences for the three hundred occupants of the Canadian-flag company's plane.
The A330 was being controlled by Santa Maria control (Azores), but as they don't have radar, passed the information to Lajes and that's where controller José Ramos comes in.. "When I received the message I realized that it was a very complicated situation, starting with a series of illegal things that he would later do", recalls the "radar dinosaur", or had not been born in Lourinhã, unraveling the list of misdeeds he committed: “I took control of a civil aircraft in an airspace that was not my responsibility. Then I lost contact with the aircraft and I didn't inform the pilot", recalls. "The illegalities I did were all with the objective of saving the more than 300 people on board. I thought and decided: I'll risk, if it goes wrong the most that happens to me is going to jail", remember the experienced military.
Upon first contact, the aircraft was at 120 kilometers from Lajes and no one believed that a plane of that size could arrive. At that time there was still fuel, "but you couldn't get anywhere", remembers José Ramos, that after doing the math realized that the A330 could arrive, but, “one mile error (next to 1.800 meters) could cause the plane, instead of reaching the base, could fall on top of the city of Praia da Vitória. It was a tragedy and Ramos was arrested", concludes.
Without wanting alone the laurels of the greatest gliding flight in commercial aviation, the military denies Robert Piché, the pilot of the aircraft, when he was there, wrote in a book that “he was the one who decided to go to Lajes. Is not true. Who told you where you were and where you could successfully reach, landing in slabs, it was me”, concluded. "The first information he gave me was that he was going to dock and I told him I was going to dock, I will do it as close as possible to Terceira Island, which in terms of rescue was more operational for helicopters", remembering that his work ended when the pilot made eye contact with the runway and switched to the control tower frequency, phase in which the plane was "practically on the ground", ends.
But the military does not stop with the FAP in criticizing the oblivion. "The authorities who did not recognize the work done, I'm sure I would have been the first to point the finger and say that I had nothing to get into things that didn't concern me., namely NAVE and INAC”, shoots.
to the military, who ended his career as a sergeant-assistant (SAJ), “the most valuable medals” were the recognition of passengers who came on the aircraft. “At the time, a couple offered me the life jacket they wore that day on the plane and a family of eight people, parents, children and nephews, who spent vacations in Portimão and casually spoke to a person and told the story they lived. That person was my brother and I ended up meeting them and they thanked her, happy to be alive", described.
In addition to praise from US military leaders, Lajes Base, also received recognition from Aero Clube de Portugal and Aero Condor. Air Transat, on the other hand, offered an American cap and a plastic plane, to be mounted.
last august, when they passed 20 years over the ephemeris, at the initiative of the BA4 Sergeants Club, a tribute was paid to SAJ José Ramos, a plaque was unveiled in the Main Room of the unit, marking and perpetuating the important moment.
Over the almost 40 years of military life, 6 of which in reserve, Jose Ramos, has been in all major theaters of operations of the FAP in Portugal, with particular incidence on those of Beja (BA11), Lajes (BA4), Take it (old BA2), Tancos (old BA3), Monsanto (Air Command), having finished his career in Ovar (AM1). SAJ Ramos was renovated in February of this year and lives peacefully in Portimão.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
Pictures of the Air Transat Plane and Homage Plaque: Copyright
