Bittersweet homecoming for two Long Island pilots involved in Brazilian crash

Two Long Island pilots involved in a deadly crash over the Amazon will be welcomed home Saturday morning.Joseph Lepore, of Bay Shore, and Jan Paladino, of West Hampton Beach, survived the deadliest air

News 12 Staff

Dec 9, 2006, 4:06 AM

Updated 6,573 days ago

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Two Long Island pilots involved in a deadly crash over the Amazon will be welcomed home Saturday morning.Joseph Lepore, of Bay Shore, and Jan Paladino, of West Hampton Beach, survived the deadliest air crash in Brazilian history. The two men went through six hours of questioning and ultimately were charged with exposing an aircraft to danger. With the help of U.S. Congressman Peter King (R-NY), who lobbied the U.S. State Department to negotiate with Brazialian authorities, Lepore and Paladino were released after ten weeks.On September 29th, the pilots took off in an Excel Air jet from Sao Paolo, bound for Manaus and then on to the United States. At the same time, Gol Airlines flight 1907 departed Manaus headed for Brasilia, and then on to Sao Paolo. Both planes were flying at 37,000 feet when they collided over the Amazon jungle. All 155 people aboard the Gol flight were killed. The Excel Air flight was able to make an emergency landing at a Brazilian military field.The two pilots are expected to arrive at MacArthur airport on Saturday morning.