Football Team Plane Crash. Killed By Corruption?

[EDDIE51]

Disturbing details of the plane crash that killed the football team have emerged.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/official-airline-was-warned-plane-barely-had-enough-fuel-for-flight-to-medellin/
The owner of the airline that provided the aircraft and the head of the flight safety bureau that allowed the plane to fly with insufficient fuel to make the flight were Father and Son!
The aircraft did not have the range to make the flight without a refueling stop, yet the safety bureau head approved it!!!
The 'Airline' has just one serviceable aircraft and has never operated scheduled flights !

[EDDIE51]

^^ In Europe an aircraft must have fuel for the flight and a 50% reserve!

[Zacs-Master]

It was the lefties again!
'The plane that crashed in Colombia killing 71 people was owned by a Venezuelan businessman and one-time leftist politician and run by a tiny Bolivian company specializing in transporting soccer teams.'
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-colombia-crash-company-idUSKBN13P2IR?il=0

[chrissa1]

For heaven's sake, Z-M.

[-Talbot-]

They're not Zac's words, Chrissa ... they are from the link.

[Zacs-Master]

I was being ironic chrissa1. I'm one of the ones often accused of being leftist.

[Gromit]

The plane's journey was beyond the normal range of the aircraft. However, they were unlucky that they were put in an holding pattern because another aircraft had to make an emergency landing, so they wasted fuel for 30 minutes.

Without that incident they would have been fine. So it was circumstances conspiring against them, rather than corruption.

[EDDIE51]

Gromit The pilot was also to blame as he did not declare 'Mayday' only that he had a fuel problem. If he had declared Mayday he would have been given immediate clearance to land. As it was another aircraft had a mechanical problem at the same time and it was given priority. That is why the football team plane had to circle. Once the football team plane declared Mayday it was given instant priority, but too late.

[chrissa1]

Apologies, Z-M.

[mikey4444]

Ultimately, its the Pilots job to make sure the plane is airworthy before take off.

If the Pilot knew that he didn't have enough fuel to make the trip, why did he take off in the first place ?

[murraymints]

all a bit dodgy..very very sad..

[waterboatman]

Corruption reigneth.

[mikey4444]

Can anybody explain, in nice plain language, why the Pilot allowed the plane to take off, knowing he didn't have enough fuel. Wouldn't his co-Pilot have noticed ?

[murraymints]

there had been talk of Hari Kari..like that German a couple of years ago..

[mikey4444]

Minty....I didn't know that !

[EDDIE51]

There is a lot that is 'fishy' the plane was scheduled to make a refueling stop but the pilot decided he could do it in one.

[murraymints]

the Pilot ALWAYS checks fuel...and will sign off a pre flight check list...most odd

[Gromit]

The pilot was also part owner of the airline.
Making a landing for refuelling would have incurred extra costs, so the pilot/owner was trying to avoid that.
Making a fuel mayday would have resulted in an investigation, fine and possibly flying license to be withdrawn. So the pilot had a conflict of interest, and a disincentive not to make the mayday call.

[murraymints]

at a terrible price !

[mikey4444]

Gromit....I have studied this report very deeply, but why would he have had to make a landing to refuel ?

If he topped up at the start of the journey, wouldn't that have been enough to get him to his destination, or are you saying that the journey was too long and too far, to make it it one hop ?

[ladybirder]

Mikey, this might interest you. It's a link to the Professional Pilots Rumour Network (page 11) and they are discussing this very case. Scroll down to where they realise lack of fuel is the problem.
http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/587574-jet-goes-down-its-way-medellin-colombia-11.html