'Help us! We're going down': Pilot's final plea before flight carrying football team crashed in Colombia
The pilot flying the doomed plane, which crashed in Colombia killing 71, had issued a desperate final plea for help before the jet plummeted to its fate.
Miguel 'Micky' Alejandro Quiroga Murakami made the call on his radio as the plane carrying 77 passengers, including a Brazilian football team, crashed in the Colombian mountains.
The conversation was heard by another pilot, who was on the airwaves at the time and recalled his colleague’s last words.
Mr Quiroga declared an emergency before saying “there’s no fuel” before screaming “help us” and “we’re going down”.
What was said in the moments before the plane crash
Conversation between air traffic controller and Pilots of LaMia flight #933:
PILOT: "Ms., LIMAMAI India flight #2933 is in total failure. Total electrical failure and out of fuel."
CONTROL TOWER: Unintelligible
ANOTHER VOICE: Unitelligible
PILOT: "Vectors, Ms., vectors to the runway, where is the runway, Ms.?"
CONTROL TOWER: "The radar signal was lost. I don't have it. I'm getting you a heading now."
PILOT: "Heading 360, 360"
CONTROL TOWER: "With that heading go to the left 010 then it would locate Rio Negro about one mile from the border. Right now you are located (pause) let me confirm. On the left using heading 350."
PILOT: "OK, left, heading 350."
CONTROL TOWER: Yes, you are now zero comma 1 miles (0.1 miles) from the border of Rio Negro (pause). I don't have your altitude LIMAMAI India."
PILOT: "9,000 feet, Ms. (pause), vectors, vectors."
CONTROL TOWER: "You are 8.2 miles from the runway."
PILOT: Unintelligible
CONTROL TOWER: "What altitude do you have now?"
SOMEONE ELSE IN THE CONTROL TOWER IS SAYING "They don't answer anymore."
PILOT: "Still 3020? How much longer do we keep that route?"
CONTROL TOWER: "Yes, Colombia 3020 to Rio Negro border."
PILOT: "OK, Rio Negro by way of 3020."
CONTROL TOWER: "LIMAMAI may I have your position?"
SOMEONE ELSE IN THE CONTROL TOWER SAYS: "He isn't there any more."
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He advised the GPS wasn’t working in the moments before the crash: “I don’t know what’s happening”.
“We have total electronic failure, total electronic failure. Vector to proceed for landing!
”Now I don't have radar contact. Vector to proceed for landing! Vector to proceed for landing!
“We're going down. Help us! Give us the vectors for the runway! Vectors for the runway!
“We're at 1,000 feet!”
It was speculated the plane could have run out of fuel before the crash. The pilot's reported final words coincide with the theory.
Crash investigators have said it’s “very suspicious” the plane did not explode on impact with the mountain as it travelled from Bolivia to Medellin.
A surviving flight attendant reportedly told authorities the plane ran out of fuel minutes before its scheduled landing at Jose Maria Cordova airport.
Six people survived Monday night’s crash. Brazilian authorities have since declared three days of mourning in the wake of the tragedy.
The news of the pilot’s last words come after it was claimed one of the footballers, Alan Ruschel, who survived the crash asked rescuers: “My family, my friends, where are they?” as he was lifted from the wreckage.
It’s emerged a 10-year-old boy helped to save the footballer’s life, being the first on scene and directing rescuers to the crash site.
The child reportedly told emergency crews where the plane was amid dismal weather conditions.
The crash wiped out most of the Brazilian team Chapecoense days away from their Copa Sudamericana final.
Ruschel was rushed to hospital and remains in intensive care.
Another survivor, goalkeeper Jackson Follmann, was said to have had his right leg amputated while being treated in hospital.
