Cockpit Recording Captured Pilot’s Final Plea Seconds Before Plane Crashed Into Mountains

As a pilot faced a critical situation with his plane running out of fuel, he made an urgent call to air traffic control.

In 2016, Miguel Alejandro Quiroga Murakami, aged 36, was piloting LaMia Flight 2933.

On board were members of the Brazilian football team AC Chapecoense (ACF), who were heading to Medellín, Colombia.

They were scheduled to play in the 2016 Copa Sudamericana Finals.

71 people died in a 2016 plane crash in Colombia. RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images

The flight, departing from Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia, carried 77 people.

Tragically, 71 of them lost their lives in the ensuing crash, including 19 ACF players.

Although the team did not compete in the final, the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) posthumously awarded ACF the title of Copa Sudamericana champions for 2016.

Initially, it was believed that the crash was caused by technical issues.

However, it was later disclosed that the tragedy occurred because the aircraft, an Avro RJ85, had completely run out of fuel.

Murakami was aware of the dire situation and communicated his desperation to air traffic control.

A cockpit audio recording released after the crash captures a tense exchange where Murakami stated, "I need coordinates for the approach."

LaMia Flight 2933 had a Brazilian football team onboard. RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images

Air traffic control responded, "Acknowledged. I have an aircraft below you carrying out its approach. Once that is carried out I will give you coordinates."

Murakami urgently replied, "How long do you have to carry out the approach? We have a fuel emergency, that's why I am asking for the final instructions immediately! I need to land immediately LAMIA 2933."

Air traffic control then assured him, "The runway is ready, expect rain on the surface, LAMIA 933, fire service is alerted."

As the situation escalated, Murakami disappeared from the radar as air traffic controllers coordinated with another plane in the vicinity.

In an attempt to ascertain his situation, they asked for his altitude, to which Murakami responded that he was at 9,000 feet, still over eight miles from the runway.

Upon learning how far he still was from safety, Murakami exclaimed, "Jesus!"

The recording ends abruptly with the crash of the plane.

An official investigation by the Colombian civil aviation agency later attributed the crash to fuel exhaustion and pilot error.

The report criticized LaMia for an inadequate flight plan and noted that the pilot had delayed declaring an emergency until 36 minutes after the fuel levels had become critically low.

Miraculously, the crash had survivors: one crew member, three players, and two other passengers managed to survive the tragic event.