LaMia Airline CEO To Be Held Until Trial

December 9, 2016

The chief executive of the LaMia charter airline whose plane crashed in Colombia last month has been arrested and will be detained until trial.

Gustavo Vargas was detained for questioning on Tuesday after flight 2933 crashed killing 71 people. A judge subsequently ruled that there was sufficient evidence to detain Vargas until trial.

An audio tape of the last conversations between the pilots 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 flight was taking the Brazilian Chapecoense soccer team to Colombia for a Copa Sudamericana match against Atlético Nacional. Six people survived the crash.

(Airwise)