Airline, Pilot Responsible For LaMia Crash

The Bolivian government has concluded that the crash of the LaMia airlines flight that killed 71 people in Colombia last month was the fault of the airline and the pilot.

Bolivian Public Works Minister Milton Claros said the airline and the pilot were “directly responsible” for the crash. He added that it was an isolated incident and flying in Bolivia was safe.

The pilot, Miguel Quiroga, filed a flight plan that was in violation of safety regulations, officials have said. Quiroga died in the crash.

The airline’s chief executive, Gustavo Vargas Gamboa, was arrested shortly after the crash on manslaughter charges.

An audio tape of the last conversations between the pilot and the control tower leaked to local media indicated a loss of fuel. The pilot was heard saying the aircraft had suffered a “total electrical failure, without fuel.” He requested permission to make an emergency landing.

The plane was taking the Brazilian Chapecoense football team to Colombia for a Copa Sudamericana match against Atlético Nacional.

The BAe 146/Avro RJ85 plane crashed in a remote area of Colombia, six people survived the crash.