RantCrush Top 5: December 1, 2016

New information about the Colombia plane crash Monday night shows that the jet ran out of fuel. Leaked audio reveals that the pilot asked for permission to land only moments before the plane went down, citing a “fuel emergency” and a “total electric failure” while repeatedly asking the air traffic controller for instructions where to land.

Pilot of plane that crashed in Colombia had told controllers it was out of fuel, sources say https://t.co/tau5s9cYO7 pic.twitter.com/czieTBpQF8

— CNN (@CNN) November 30, 2016

But the controller couldn’t do anything as another plane was flying close by at the moment, and there was leaked fuel on the runway.

Rescue workers were surprised to see there had been no explosion and that the main damage to the aircraft was from the impact with the ground. The lack of any sort of explosion was also how a few people managed to survive. It’s unclear how the plane could run out of fuel, as aviation experts say it’s unsafe to fly without a minimum of 30 minutes of fuel reserves. The Bolivian airline, LaMia, has since taken down its website and disconnected its phone.

20,000 fans gathered to honor the Chapecoense players who were killed in the Colombia plane crash https://t.co/m6dlBFeo5t pic.twitter.com/kkhszXj3Oo

— CNN (@CNN) December 1, 2016

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.