An Avro RJ85 carrying 81 people crashed in Medellín, Colombia, Monday night, killing nearly everyone on board, including members of a first-division Brazilian soccer team.
According to Colombia’s civil aviation authority, six people survived the crash: three soccer players, a journalist who was traveling with the team and two crewmembers.
Colombia’s civil aviation director Alfredo Bocanegra said the crew reported electrical problems near the towns of La Ceja and La Unión, then declared an emergency as they approached Medellín. The aircraft was granted priority to land before it lost contact with air traffic control.
The short-haul jet, owned by LaMia Airlines, was carrying 72 passengers and nine crewmembers; at least 21 of the passengers were journalists traveling with the soccer team.
The Chapecoense de Brasil soccer club was traveling from Bolivia to play in the first leg of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana finals against Colombian team Atlético Nacional. The aircraft’s route between Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, and Medellin, Colombia, was 1,605 nm — slightly beyond the Avro’s range of 1,600 nm.
Investigators are looking into an account from a survivor who said the plane ran out of fuel about five minutes from its destination.
Before the tragedy, the Chapecoense club was in the midst of a dream season. After defeating some of South America’s fiercest teams, the Chapecoense club won a spot in the Copa Sudamericana — the biggest match in its history.
David de Nes Filho, chairman of the board overseeing the Chapecoense club, told reporters early Tuesday, “Before boarding, they said they were seeking to turn their dream into reality. This morning, that dream is over.”
The South American Football Confederation has suspended the tournament until further notice.
