ALPA Condemns Criminalization of Concorde Airline Accident=0ASource: ALPA 1= 1/07/2008 =0AIn response to the recent announcement by French prosecutors t= hat they intend to pursue a criminal investigation following the tragic cra= sh of the Concorde in 2000, and the subsequent Flight Safety Foundation sta= tement condemning that action, Captain John Prater, president of the Air Li= ne Pilots Association, International, released the following statement: =93= France=92s archaic approach to this tragic event represents a step backward= s for global aviation safety. As we have continued to refine and improve ou= r aviation safety systems to create the safest mode of transportation ever = developed, we have learned that the criminalization of aircraft accident in= vestigation can never produce positive results. =93We in the aviation safet= y community call upon our colleagues throughout the world to join us in poi= nting out to French authorities that their action will not improve aviation= safety, rather it will inevitably lead to hazards going undetected. The th= reat of criminal prosecution will always result in suppressing the authorities= =92 ability to obtain valuable safety information before tragedy strikes. T= hat is a fact acknowledged by enlightened safety cultures throughout the av= iation world. To be sure, if someone commits an act with intent to do harm,= that person should be prosecuted, but nothing suggests that any airline or= its personnel performed any such deliberate act that resulted in the loss = of the Concorde. =93We mourn the loss of our colleagues and their passenger= s but recognize that learning all that can be learned from such a tragedy i= s the greatest legacy they can leave =96 one that will be significantly dim= inished by this unwarranted and ill-conceived attempt to punish those who a= cted only to discharge their duties in a safe and professional manner. We a= pplaud and support the swift response by the Flight Safety Foundation to ca= ll the world=92s attention to this unfortunate misuse of valuable resources that might otherwise be used to make an incredibly safe system e= ven safer.=94 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".