@ Magplug, you posted ....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alas Para Volar
I hazard a prediction that the root cause is PIC is owner of the airline. Commercial / status / prestige imperative. Pushing the range envelope. Not enough fuel. No reserve / contingency. Entirely avoidable accident. RIP.
Magplug: I'd go with that 100%
According to local media, you are spot on.
From
Director de la aerolínea LaMia habla sobre accidente de Chapecoense - Justicia - ELTIEMPO.COM (using Google Chrome's translate) in an interview with a company director of LAMIA ...
"The pilot, Miguel Alejandro Quiroga Murakami, was the owner of the company."
Regarding re-fuelling he seems a bit vague or confused.
"How are the protocols that you have on fuel? Is it possible to arrive with little fuel to somewhere where they will land or always have to have a sufficient reserve?
As you say, it must have sufficient reserve fuel to reach an alternative.
Had they already done this flight to Medellin?
Yes, but we did it twice from Medellin to Bolivia. It was a flight that was always perfect."
"Why the passengers had to change planes?
As Brazil did not authorize us, so we had to get them to Santa Cruz. We had one plane and that plane has been that has been flying around.
But at no time this flight had planned resupply reach to Bogota?
Santa Cruz had to go to Cobija, which is in Bolivia. Cobija had to go to Medellin. But they went straight to Bogota, and then had to see the possibility of continuing or landing in Bogota. It was night. And that denial of Brazil was complicated a bit. But apparently, if the pilot has continued it's just because he could. It has continued and has passed this catastrophe that makes us much harm.
When the plane arrived in Medellin no longer had enough fuel to land?
We're seeing that, waiting for research information. But if he felt he had no fuel, he had to go to Bogota to restock. Bogota airport, according to the flight plan, was the alternate for anything. Before going Bogota had to make the decision; if it was with good fuel I had to follow, but if something was wrong with the fuel, should enter."
Apologies for the limitations of Google Translate but from that, I infer that the Captain decided he could make his destination without re-fuelling for reserve fuel, presumably in the belief that there would no need for any, a gross violation of flight planning.
That page also has some other good relevant links. Well worth looking at.