Doomed Flight Flew 20 Minutes Longer Than It's 4 Hours Capacity

                              

The jet that crashed down in Colombia killing 71 people had been flying for 20 minutes longer than its four-hour fuel capacity before it was told to circle, it has emerged. 

Data shows the Bolivian LaMia plane was capable of holding 21,000 lbs of fuel and would have burnt up to 5,000 lbs an hour during its doomed flight to Medellin.

But after spending 4 hours 20 minutes in the air close to full passenger capacity, air traffic controllers in the Colombian city ordered the pilot to put the plane into a holding pattern.

It comes as the desperate last words of the pilot flying the jet were revealed. Miguel Alejandro Quiroga Murakami pleaded on his radio as the jet carrying 77 passengers plummeted to its fate in the Colombian mountains killing 71 people on board.

The conversation was heard by another pilot - Juan Sebastian Upegui - who was on the airwaves at the time and recalled his fellow airman's last words. 

In his horrifying final call, Mr Quiroga declared an emergency before saying 'there's no fuel', 'we have total electronic failure' and then screaming, 'help us' and 'we're going down'.

Mr Quiroga said: 'The GPS isn't working, I don't know what's happening.

'We have total electronic failure, total electronic failure. Vector to proceed for landing!

'Now I don't have radar contact. Vector to proceed for landing! Vector to proceed for landing!

'We're going down. Help us! Give us the vectors for the runway! Vectors for the runway! We're at 1,000 feet!'

 The flight was in the air for about 4 hours and 20 minutes when air traffic controllers in Medellin put it into a holding pattern because another flight had reported a suspected fuel leak and was given priority.

A BAE 146 Avro RJ85 holds about 21,000 lbs of fuel. It burns fuel at a rate of 4,500-5,000 pounds an hour.