Plane That Crashed in Colombia Did Not Have Enough Reserve Fuel: Authorities
Authorities said the plane did not have enough reserve fuel.
— -- The plane that crashed in Colombia while carrying Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense -- killing 71 -- did not have enough of the required reserve fuel needed in case of emergency, according to Aerocivil, Colombia’s civil aviation authority.
The plane was required to have at least 30 minutes of reserve fuel on top of the fuel needed to make the trip, per Colombian and international norms, Aerocivil authorities said in a press conference Wednesday night. There was also no fuel present at the crash site, investigators said.
A total of 71 people died in the crash Monday night. Six passengers -– including three players, two crew members and a journalist -– survived the crash.
Authorities are expecting that all 71 bodies will be identified by midnight tonight.
The charter flight, operated by LaMia airline, was due to arrive in Medellin from Bolivia. The plane suffered an electrical failure before the crash, according to the official Twitter account for Jose Maria Cordova International Airport.
The tail of the plane clipped the top of the mountain, and the rest of the fuselage slid down onto the other side of the slope, an official with the Civil Defense of Medellin told ABC News Tuesday.
In addition to the team, a number of journalists died, including six employees of Fox Sports Brazil and three Globo employees, the companies announced after the crash.
Four people who were scheduled to board the plane decided at the last minute not to travel, regional police said Tuesday. Two Chapecoense players did not travel with the team due to injuries, while the coach’s son did not travel because he forgot his passport, a club spokesperson told ABC News.
Chapecoense was due to play against Medellin’s Atletico Nacional in the finals of the Copa Sudamericana today.
Charter Plane Crashes in Colombia
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