Son of General Bernales recants blame of pilot for accident following release of new reports

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SANTIAGO.- Alejandro Bernales Bianchini, the eldest son of the deceased National Police Director, Alejandro Bernales, has clarified that, following new reports that have surfaced indicating that the helicopter that crashed while his parents were on board was in poor structural condition, the amount of responsibility corresponding to the pilot seems to be flagging.

"The truth is that the pilot was flying a bit blind, since the indicators were not in working condition (…). The helicopter was in very bad shape (…) and well, we believe that the blame should be lifted off of him somewhat because the conditions of the aircraft did not allow for quick decisions during the emergency", Bernales told Radio Cooperativa.

The statement comes after the Panamanian press published a new report establishing that some four months before the accident, an inspection indicated that the SAN-100 aircraft, which would later be used to transport Bernales and his entourage, had various mechanical problems.

Although the Panamanian government disregarded the importance of the report yesterday, Bernales maintained that the Chancellor's Office in Panama should provide the Chilean office with an explanation concerning the new document.