VZCZCXRO2765
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #0390 0870009
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 280009Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3920
INFO RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 9284
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 7479
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 3778
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

S E C R E T BRASILIA 000390 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/BSC AND L 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2019 
TAGS: SNAR MOPS PGOV BR
SUBJECT: THEFT OF SMALL PLANE ACTIVATES SHOOTDOWN PROCEDURES 
 
REF: A. 08 BRASILIA 1170 
     ¶B. IIR 6 809 0120 09 
     ¶C. 08 BRASILIA 1214 
 
Classified By: DCM Lisa Kubiske.  Reason 1.4 (d) 
 
¶1.  (S/NF) Ref B describes a March 12 incident in which a 
small private aircraft was stolen at gunpoint in Luziania 
(approximately 23 miles from Brasilia) and after two hours 
was intentionally crashed into a parking lot of a shopping 
mall in Goiania, approximately 90 miles from Brasilia.  The 
incident was notable in that it provoked a rare activation of 
Brazil's shootdown procedures (described in ref a).  Given 
the plane's proximity to the federal capital and lack of any 
flight plan, Brasilia Air Traffic Control notified Air 
Defense Control, which scrambled planes from Anapolis Air 
Base to intercept, observe and try to communicate (details in 
ref b).  When the plane suddenly steered for a densely 
populated area and a large shopping mall, controllers began 
to view it as a threat.  With the possibility that the stolen 
plane could be used as a weapon, Air Defense Command briefed 
Air Force Chief Brigadeiro Junito Saito.  Saito then 
contacted Defense Minister Jobim and President Lula about the 
possibility of ordering a shootdown should there be a threat 
to civilians.  During the discussion, the pilot went down in 
the mall parking lot. 
 
¶2.  (C) COMMENT: The Brazilian Air Force followed exactly the 
procedures provided to Embassy Brasilia last year in going up 
the chain of command before authorizing a shootdown.  Because 
of the seriousness of a potential threat to a large number of 
citizens in the mall, the Air Force took the additional step 
of consulting with the President.  While no decision was made 
before the plane crashed, the procedure followed illustrates 
the extreme caution with which a possible shootdown is 
approached, the broad understanding of the shootdown policy 
among air traffic controllers and the fact that the 
procedures are executed as written.  Mission believes that 
the March 12 incident provides an illustration of the 
effectiveness of Brazil's procedures to prevent inadvertent 
shootdowns that were the basis of the recommendation for 
Presidential certification of Brazil in ref c.  The fact that 
the procedures were correctly followed on March 12 
demonstrates that they remain well known to pilots, 
controllers and decision makers.  Along with the absence of 
any indication that conditions have changed with regard to 
shootdowns, this incident provides a strong case for 
recertification later this year. 
 
¶3.  (S/NF) COMMENT, CONTINUED: On the other side of the coin, 
the deliberate approach to a shootdown decision highlighted a 
vulnerability to potential terrorist actions given that a 
decision would not have been made in time to stop the pilot 
had he been able to crash into his target or another 
building, including in Brasilia.  In part, this vulnerability 
stems from Brazil's shootdown procedures having been 
developed to apply to drug smuggling aircraft in Brazil's 
vast northern areas, not to potential attacks on cities. 
Based on DAO discussion with the Brazilian Air Force and Air 
Traffic control, the Brazilians consider their shootdown 
procedures to be effective but may look at ways to accelerate 
decision making during a potential terrorist attack. 
SOBEL