Colombia plane crash 2016 latest news: Jet ran out of fuel, authorities say
The plane that crashed into a hillside near Medellin, Colombia on Monday night, bringing down with it its crew, journalists and an entire football team, was out of fuel at the time of impact, Colombia authorities revealed.
"We can clearly affirm that the plane did not have fuel at the moment of impact," Freddy Bonilla, Colombia's secretary of air security, disclosed to reporters Wednesday evening.
According to two sources who heard audio recordings that were reportedly released to Colombia media, a pilot onboard Flight 2933 could be heard telling traffic controllers, "The plane is in total electric failure and without fuel," CNN reported.
Bonilla and Alfredo Bocanegra, Colombia's civil aviation authority head Alfredo Bocanegra, highlighted that a fuel stop was missing from LaMia Flight 2933 plan, which was approved by the Bolivian authorities.
LaMia Airlines, a Bolivia-based operator of chartered flights, also violated international and local regulations which mandate planes to carry reserve fuel, Bonilla further stressed.
Colombian accident investigators are reportedly looking into why a small short-range jet was allowed to cross from Santa Cruz, Bolivia to Medellin, which is considered a transcontinental flight.
According to ABC News, Colombia's transportation ministry has confirmed that both black boxes are already in the hands of authorities. A full investigation that could take months is expected to ensue.
The chartered plane crashed into a hillside about 30 kilometers from Jose Maria Cordova International Airport, Colombia's second largest airport. About 71 passengers died from the incident, including members of the Associação Chapecoense de Futebol, who were traveling to Colombia to face Atlético Nacional of MedellÃn on Wednesday evening at Copa Sudamericana, its first international finals match.
Only six survived the plane crash, including three football players, two crew members and a journalist. Jackson Follmann had to have his right leg amputated. Defender Helio Neto suffered severe injury to his skull, thorax and lungs, while defender Alan Ruschel had to undergo spinal surgery.
The survivors also include crew members Ximena Suarez and Erwin Tumiri, as well as journalist Rafael Vamorbida, who came out of the accident with multiple rib fracture.
