According to an official report released by Bolivian newspaper El Deber, the Bolivian airplane in which Brazilian Chapecoense football club was traveling, and that crashed on November 28th, had at least five observations: the aircraft was not supposed to take off.
The press published some details of the flight plan delivered by LaMia dispatcher Álex Quispe, one of the victims of the accident.
He gave that information to civil servant from the Administration and Auxiliary Services to Air Navigation (AASANA) Celia Castedo Monasterio, At Viru Viru airport, in Santa Cruz.
Castedo’s observations were:
-The flight range was not adequate.
-An alternate plan was needed.
-The report was poorly filled.
-Changes were necessary.
The main observation refers to the planned, flight time between Santa Cruz and the airport in Medellin: four hours and 22 minutes. That time was recorded for the same fuel range that the plane had.
The document describes the conversation between Castedo and Quispe. He told her that pilot Miguel Quiroga, who also died in the accident, gave that information and assured him that it was enough to reach their destination.
The official of AASANA included Quispe’s textual response in her report:
No, Mrs. Celia, I’ve had that range, it is enough … We’ll do it in less time, do not worry. It’s just like that, relax, that’s fine.
Although Castedo refused to receive the plan, the document was finally delivered to those in charge of controlling the flight in Cruceño territory and then to the national control, until its departure through the northern city of Cobija.
LaMia CEO, Gustavo Vargas, declared that the pilot had the option to go to Bogota in case of a fuel shortage.
According to Vargas, it was initially planned that the plane would recharge in Cobija but it didn’t happen due to the lack of time and the pilot could have done it in Bogotá if he needed fuel.
We have to investigate why he decided to go directly to Medellin,
declared Vargas.
LaMia plane crashed at just 17 kilometers from the airport runway. 71 people died and 6 people survived.
Twenty-Eight Chapecoense officials, members of the coaching staff and special guests of the Brazilian club, as well as twenty journalists and nine crew members were traveling on the aircraft.
According to a recording, the pilot informed about a total power failure and a fuel shortage to the control tower at Medellin airport before crashing.