Championship Brazilian soccer team perishes in overnight plane crash

Chapecoense team is lost in plane crash, three players survive.

Brazil and Colombia are in mourning today following the crash of a small airliner carrying 81 people. The plane collided with a mountain near Medellin, Columbia. Among the deceased is nearly the entire soccer team, Chapecoense, on its way to play a much anticipated, high-ranked match.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- A chartered jet carrying the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense, has crashed against a mountain in Colombia. The plane was carrying 72 passengers and nine crew from Viru Viru airport in Bolivia to Medellin, Colombia. The crew of the plane reported power failures prior to the crash and was preparing to make an emergency landing in Medellin. The plane appears to have circled near its destination to burn off fuel before landing. Five survivors have been rescued, the remaining 76 are confirmed dead.

Reports from the area say heavy rainfall and mud have hampered rescue and recovery efforts. At one point during the recovery operation rainfall was so heavy authorities briefly called a halt to the recovery operation; the weather was so severe that helicopters could not fly. The recovery effort resumed around dawn as conditions improved.

The survivors have been identified as a defender Alan Ruschel, and two goalkeepers, Danilo Padilha and Jackson Follmann. A journalist from the team's delegation, and a flight attendant were also rescued alive. All were transported to hospitals with significant injuries. A sixth survivor died at the hospital.

The plane that crashed was a British Aerospace Systems Avro RJ-146 flying for LaMia Airlines, flight number 2933. The plane is a design from the early 1980s that has been upgraded several times. The small jets are used for short flights and are capable of operating from short runways, making steep approaches and takeoffs when needed. They are commonly used as firefighting planes because of these special abilities.

The cause of the crash is unclear and under investigation. Initial reports say the plane suffered electrical problems. One survivor mentioned to rescuers that the plane ran out of fuel several minutes before crashing.

Rescuers at the crash site also indicated a lack of fuel or fire at the crash site. While this certainly improved the odds of finding survivors, it also strongly suggests the plane did run out of fuel while waiting to land.

Flight tracking suggests the plane circled before landing.

Brazil and Columbia are in states of mourning today as both countries look for the cause of the disaster and make preparations to bury the dead. Chapecoense was headed to play in the finals of the Copa Sudamericana tournament. The tournament has been suspended.

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