DOOMED flight LMI-2933 which crashed in the Colombian jungle killing 75 people may have run out of fuel, experts say.
The lack of fuel to the engines in turn caused the reported electrical fault initially thought to be responsible for the crash, it is claimed.
The pilot, Miguel ‘Micky’ Quiroga, has been hailed as a hero for dumping fuel out of the plane’s tanks moments before it crashed to earth to prevent it going up in a deadly fireball.
Seventy-six people were killed in what was the deadliest air disaster in the world this year.
José María Córdova International Airport in Rionegro said in a statement that the plane was brought down by electrical faults – which is a common symptom when jet engines are starved of fuel.
A flight attendant also allegedly claimed the plane ran out of fuel.
Reports online also suggest that the tragic plane used its fuel reserves to make the long journey from Bolivia.
The length of journey is also very close to the maximum range of the aircraft.
Before LMI-2933 could land it was forced into a holding pattern when the airport received an emergency call from another flight which had suffered a fuel leak.
One final clue pointed out by aviation experts that backs up this theory is the lack of damage to the fans in the turbines of the plane’s engines, which shows the engines were not running when the plane hit the ground.
It is has also been reported that the pilot never declared an emergency until it reported an electrical fault as it was hurtling towards the jungle floor.
The claims come as rescue workers carried out the macabre task of sifting through the crash site for the remains of the passengers.
Authorities can be seen carrying body bags filled with the tragic victims of the deadly plane crash.
Meanwhile, investigators have found the aircraft’s two black boxes buried inside the wreckage although the cause of the disaster is still unknown.
It has now emerged that pilot Mick Quiroga asked if the Brazilian football side, who were travelling over the border for a historic cup final, could be flown directly to the town of Medellin instead of having to stop over in Bolivia.
But aviation authorities refused permission for a flight to take the direct route from Sao Paulo in Brazil to Medellin in Colombia.
A recorded phone call shows how the Bolivia-based LAMIA airline pilot pleaded with the mayor of Chapeco — home of the Chapecoense — to help him get permission for the more direct route.
He says: “I hired a Bolivian aeroplane to take us from Sao Paulo Guarulhos to Santa Cruz. I’ll be waiting here in Santa Cruz.
“This flight leaves 3pm local time in Sao Paulo, but the process of that other application that we did have leave for because we have approval to enter in Foz do Iguacu and go to Chapeco.
“Please Mayor, give us some help here for us to enter”.
