Brazil: Pilots lost radio in deadly crash

SAO PAULO, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Two U.S. pilots involved in Brazil's worst air accident in history had trouble with their radio in-flight, Folha de Sao Paulo reported Tuesday.

The newspaper published a transcript of the conversation the pilots had with air traffic controllers just minutes before the crash.

Last month, Brazilian authorities blamed air traffic controllers as well as the two U.S. pilots for causing the crash of a commercial airliner that killed all 154 people onboard.

The accusations marked the first time the two U.S. pilots, who were flying a small private jet that apparently clipped a Brazilian commercial airliner, were blamed by authorities investing the crash, Agencia Estado reported.

The accusations against the air-traffic controllers follow recent reports that the country's airport traffic controllers were sub par, forcing numerous airports to shut down for short periods following the crash.

The pilots contend that their plane's transponder stopped emitting its signal before their craft clipped the commercial craft that crashed, killing all 154 people on board.

The late September's crash of Gol Flight 1907 over the Amazon jungle was the worst in Brazil's aviation history. The small private plane flown by the two U.S. pilots managed to land safely after the collision.