VENEZUELAN INSPECTOR REPORTS CONCERNS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CARACAS 000862 SIPDIS DEPT OF DEFENSE Q SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD TREASURY FOR MMALLOY COMMERCE FOR 4431/MAC/WH/MCAMERON E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2018 TAGS: EAIR ECON PGOV MARR VE ASEC SUBJECT: VENEZUELAN INSPECTOR REPORTS CONCERNS WITH AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY REF: A. CARACAS 502 ¶B. CARACAS 822 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Robert Downes for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: On June 10 an Air Accident Inspector (strictly protect throughout) from the Ministry of Popular Power for Infrastructure (Minfra) told Econ staff that in her opinion Venezuela has no intention of allowing TSA inspections. She noted drug trafficking represents a serious threat to aviation security within Venezuela. She gave a detailed, unreleased account of the February 2008 crash of a Santa Barbara plane in the state of Merida, asserting that this, and other recent civil aviation crashes in Venezuela, could have been prevented with better oversight and training. The inspector stated that nothing had been accomplished by the BRV transfer of the Venezuelan civil aviation authority (INAC) from Minfra's control to the Central Planning Commission, headed by the Vice President. While the Economic Section has had no previous contact with this source, and no specific, independent verification of her comments, post finds her assertions credible. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Thanks to an alert consular section, Econoff and Econspecialist were able to interview an Air Accident Inspector from Minfra at the Embassy following her visa appointment. She agreed to be interviewed on the condition that all of her comments be kept strictly confidential. She stated she has inspected all the major airports in Venezuela during the course of her career. -------------- TSA INSPECTIONS WILL NOT HAPPEN -------------- ¶3. (C) The inspector stated that in her opinion, the proposed TSA inspections are not going to happen. She said INAC will not approve TSA visits again and the only body INAC will allow to inspect Venezuelan airports is the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which is scheduled to conduct a review of Venezuelan airports in January 2009. She believes the "frightening" state of Venezuelan aviation will come to light when the ICAO visits in January. (Note: Post has requested additional information on the upcoming ICAO inspection. End Note.) ¶4. (C) She speculated that if the ICAO came tomorrow, they would not find any Venezuelan airport in compliance with ICAO regulations. The inspector stated not even the country's main airport, Simon Bolivar in Caracas, would pass muster as security there is a "total disaster" and there are constant issues with drugs. (Note: Media reports indicate radar systems at Simon Bolivar are not fully functional. One is very old and cannot record images and the other Canadian system is incompatible with its new Brazilian operating software. End Note.) She also said Venezuela needs a National Aviation Security Committee as no office is currently overseeing enforcement of security standards. -------------- -------------- DRUG SMUGGLING A SERIOUS ISSUE IN VENEZUELAN AVIATION -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) The inspector noted that one of the most serious problems with Venezuelan aviation is the ever increasing drug trade. She stated employees are often threatened by drug traffickers. She claimed she has personally been threatened twice. She said drug traffickers tend to use U.S. registered airplanes, and routinely hire pilots without licenses. No one inspects the planes as the inspectors fear for themselves and their families. ¶6. (C) She stated the entities involved in civil aviation oversight are chronically under-funded and morale is very low, which makes public servants easy targets for drug traffickers' bribes. The inspector argued the Venezuelan civil aviation system needs better paid, more qualified personnel, and a great deal of training. She reported there are only 12 accident inspectors such as herself when at least 60 are needed to investigate air accidents. She added that the few inspectors they have rarely venture outside their offices. In one instance, the inspector stated, drug traffickers told her to leave the airport she was attempting to inspect. CARACAS 00000862 002 OF 003 -------------- -------------- FLAWS IN THE SYSTEM LEAD TO PREVENTABLE PLANE CRASHES -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) She argued that many of the recent air accidents in Venezuela could have been avoided if the civil aviation system had been stronger and better organized. She gave the Venezuelan airline Santa Barbara crash as an example. On February 21, a Santa Barbara plane crashed in the Andes Mountains five minutes after takeoff killing all 46 aboard (ref A). After listening to the flight recorder, the inspector stated the crash could have been prevented either by better trained pilots or competent air traffic controllers. ¶8. (C) The inspector noted Minfra's findings will probably not be released to the public as, in the past, victims' families have retaliated against the parties found to be responsible. She cited a case where a family member killed an air traffic controller as support for Minfra's decision. ¶9. (C) She stated the pilots of the Santa Barbara flight did not give the Attitude and Direction Instruments (ADI) enough time to fully initiate prior to take off. She noted air traffic controllers were also aware the plane's ADI equipment was not ready. She said the pilot and co-pilot immediately began trying to re-set the ADI equipment in the air, but this is almost impossible while maneuvering. ¶10. (C) According to the flight recorder, the inspector said, the crew knew the aircraft would be at serious risk in minutes without the ADI equipment. She emphasized the equipment was essential due to poor visibility and mountainous terrain. Unable to determine their attitude and direction, the crew lost control of the aircraft; the ground proximity alarms went off; and the plane crashed. ¶11. (C) She stated that while it is true the crash was primarily due to pilot error resulting from a lack of training, air traffic controllers played a role when they granted the Santa Barbara plane an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) departure when the airport in Merida only allows for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) departures. The inspector argued the controllers never should not have let the plane take off with an IFR flight plan. ¶12. (C) The inspector cited the Los Roques Transavan crash on January 4 as an additional example of flaws in the system. She visited the aircraft's maintenance facility as part of her investigation and reported the facility was in terrible condition. She said investigators still have no concrete evidence for the cause of the crash in part because no one wants to tangle with the high ranking military officers who have overall control of the investigation. (Note: Media reports quote the lawyer for the families of the eight Italian victims as saying his "clients are furious with the Venezuelan government." The BRV has given the families very little information, and more than 50 days after claiming they had located the aircraft in deep waters, they have yet to attempt to photograph the plane. End Note.) -------------- -------------- CIVIL AVIATION RESTRUCTURING ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING -------------- -------------- ¶13. (C) She stated INAC has not improved now that it falls under the authority of the Central Planning Commission, headed by the Vice President. The only change has been a slight increase in employees' salaries. The inspector said that in reality, Minfra still manages all means of transport throughout the country and INAC is still, in effect, administered by Minfra. ¶14. (C) The inspector said INAC has a lot of requirements on paper they never enforce as they never conduct inspections. She cited state-owned CONVIASA as an example. She stated CONVIASA regularly breaks aviation regulations and is so inefficient and corrupt the BRV recently decided to take direct control of the airline, naming INAC President Martinez Bravo president (ref B). ¶15. (C) The inspector said another major issue is lack of respect for INAC. If an airline or airline employee fails to comply with a regulation, they routinely call their friends CARACAS 00000862 003 OF 003 in the government who shield them from disciplinary action. She stated there are numerous documented cases where mechanics have been willfully negligent, but still continue to repair planes. Downes