What happened
On the night of the accident, a Bombardier CRJ-200 operated by LAMIA was conducting a charter flight from Santa Cruz-Viru Viru to Medellín-José María Córdova Airport. The flight was transporting members of the Chapecoense Real soccer team from Brazil to Colombia for a scheduled Copa Sudamericana match.
While the aircraft was descending through FL155, it encountered an electrical malfunction. During this descent, the aircraft struck treetops and crashed into a forested area on a mountain slope in Cerro Gordo, situated approximately 17 km south of the runway 01 threshold near La Ceja. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe, though no post-crash fire was reported. The accident resulted in 71 fatalities and 6 survivors, consisting of two crew members and four passengers who were rescued and evacuated.
Findings
Preliminary investigations into the crash suggested that the flight crew encountered electrical issues during the descent. A significant finding from the initial inquiry was that the aircraft may have experienced fuel exhaustion. Following the incident, the Bolivian Civil Aviation Authority revoked the Air Operator Certificate for LAMIA, leading to the immediate suspension of all company operations.