An advisor to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sparked anger Friday after being filmed making a rude gesture in reaction to news that this week's deadly plane crash may have been caused by a mechanical failure, according to dpa. TAM airline's president Marco Antonio Bologna admitted Thursday that a problem with the plane's right engine had been detected by the plane's own safety system four days before Tuesday's crash in Sao Paulo, but the airline insisted that it was not related to the accident. Lula's special advisor Marco Aurelio Garcia was being recorded by TV Globo in his office watching the new development. He made the gesture of hitting one fist against the palm of the other hand, which in Brazil is as offensive as lifting one's middle finger. Garcia said his reaction was aimed at all the fingers that had been pointed at the government after the tragedy, which would now have to be blamed on the airline, and claimed he would never have reacted as he did in public. An estimated 200 people were killed when the Brazilian TAM airliner - arriving from Porto Alegre - overshot the runway in rainy weather and struck a freight deposit and petrol station, sparking a huge fire. According to the latest official figures, 188 people have been confirmed dead. There were 186 people on the flight and another dozen are estimated to have been killed on the ground. While there is still no clear explanation, many pointed to the newly resurfaced runway at Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport. Grooves designed to help drainage on rainy days had not yet been added to the runway and pilots had warned of slippery and dangerous conditions days before the crash. Garcia's rudeness added to public anger over the fact that President Lula has not yet spoken publicly about the crash, the deadliest in Brazil's history. Lula planned to make an address Friday. After the crash, Lula cancelled his schedule for the week, ordered a police probe on Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport, and met with his ministers.
