Plane out of fuel when it crashed

LAST DETAILS: Colombian media airs audio recording of pilot moments before crash

THE pilot of a charter plane carrying a Brazilian football team radioed frantically that he was out of fuel minutes before slamming into a hillside near Medellin with 77 people on board, an audio recording showed.

Details of the doomed aircraft’s last minutes emerged on Wednesday as fans mourned the loss of all but six people on the flight, including most of the Cinderella-story Chapecoense Real team.

An audio tape aired by the Colombian media showed that the pilot of the LAMIA airlines BAe146 radioed the control tower on Monday seeking priority to land because of a fuel problem.

The operator acknowledges the request but tells pilot Miguel Quiroga he will have to wait seven minutes to land.

“I have a plane below you making its approach ... How much time can you remain in your approach, Lima-Mike-India?”

“We have a fuel emergency, ma’am, that’s why I am asking you for it at once, full stop.”

Moments later: “I request an immediate descent Lima-Mike-India.”

The timeline was not clear but shortly thereafter the pilot radioed: “Ma’am, Lima-Mike-India 2933 is in total failure, total electrical failure, without fuel.”

The operator responded: “Runway clear and expect rain on the runway Lima-Mike-India 2933. Firefighters alerted.”

The pilot is heard asking: “Vectors, ma’am, vectors to the runway.” Vectors is the term for the navigation service provided to planes by air traffic control.

The operator is heard giving him directions, and asking his altitude.

“Nine thousand feet, ma’am. Vectors! Vectors!”

Those were Quiroga’s last words to the control tower.

Colombia’s Civil Aeronautics

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