It was late. November 28, 2016. A British Aerospace 146 regional jet, operated by a charter company called LaMia, was humming over the Colombian Andes. On board, the vibe wasn't just professional; it was ecstatic. The passengers weren't just random travelers. They were the heartbeat of a small Brazilian city called Chapecó.
We're talking about the Chapecoense football team.
They were the ultimate underdog story, the kind of "Cinderella" run that makes sports worth watching. They had climbed from the lower rungs of Brazilian football to the final of the Copa Sudamericana. They were headed to Medellín to play Atlético Nacional. It was supposed to be the biggest game of their lives. Instead, at roughly 10:15 PM, LaMia Flight 2933 disappeared from the radar.
When people ask who was on the plane that crashed, they usually expect a list of names. But names don't tell you about the father who just found out his wife was pregnant, or the veteran goalkeeper who was planning to retire. The manifest held 77 people.
Only six walked away.
The Players Who Carried the Dreams of Chapecó
The squad was a mix of young talent and grizzled veterans. You had guys like Bruno Rangel, the club’s all-time leading goalscorer. He was 34. He was the guy the younger players looked up to. Then there was Cléber Santana, the captain. Santana wasn't just some local hero; he’d played for Atlético Madrid and Mallorca. He brought that European "been-there-done-that" energy to a locker room that was largely navigating new heights.
It’s heartbreaking to look back at the footage from the terminal.
You see them laughing. Tiaguinho, a 22-year-old midfielder, had just received news from his teammates—via a gift and a note—that he was going to be a father. There’s video of him sitting on the floor of the airport, reading the note, and jumping for joy. He was on that plane.
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The defense was anchored by guys like Filipe Machado and William Thiego. Thiego was actually rumored to be in talks for a massive move to Santos. His career was peaking. That’s the thing about this specific crash; it didn't just take lives, it cut off a narrative arc that was trending toward a fairytale.
The Six Survivors: A Statistical Miracle
In the world of aviation, "controlled flight into terrain" usually leaves zero survivors. Especially when the cause is something as preventable as fuel exhaustion—which, according to the Aerocivil (the Colombian aviation authority), is exactly what happened. The pilot, Miguel Quiroga, who was also a part-owner of the airline, had bypassed a refueling stop in Cobija.
The six who survived are basically living miracles.
Alan Ruschel was the first to be rescued. He was a defender, on loan from Internacional. He had spinal surgery, fought like hell through rehab, and remarkably, he actually returned to the pitch. He played again. Think about the mental grit required to get back on a plane, let alone a football field, after that.
Jakson Follmann, the backup goalkeeper, wasn't as lucky in terms of his career. He survived, but he lost his right leg. It had to be amputated. But if you watch him now, he’s one of the most positive guys you’ll ever see. He became a singer, a motivational speaker, and a commentator. He’s proof that life doesn't end when the career does.
Neto (Hélio Hermito Zampier Neto) was the last survivor found. He was buried under the fuselage for hours in the freezing rain. Rescuers almost missed him. They heard a groan. He spent weeks in the ICU. He tried to come back to football, but the physical toll on his back and knees was just too much. He retired in 2019.
The other three survivors weren't players.
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- Rafael Henzel: A journalist who was incredibly close to the team. He actually died a few years later, in 2019, from a heart attack while playing football. A cruel twist of fate.
- Ximena Suárez: A flight attendant. She’s spoken openly about the trauma and the "silence" in the cabin before the impact.
- Erwin Tumiri: A flight technician. He famously survived a second major accident years later—a bus crash in Bolivia. The man seems to have an invincible guardian angel.
The Staff and the Press: The Often Forgotten Passengers
When we discuss who was on the plane that crashed, the headlines focus on the athletes. That’s natural. But the coaching staff was entirely wiped out. Caio Júnior, the manager, was the architect of the team's success. He famously said after the semi-final, "If I died today, I’d die happy."
He died days later.
Then you have the journalists. Twenty-one members of the Brazilian media were on board. Fox Sports Brazil lost a huge chunk of their commentary team, including Mario Sergio, a legendary former player and pundit. These weren't just strangers to the players; they were companions who lived on the road with them. They shared meals, sat in the same hotel lobbies, and chronicled the rise of the club. Their loss left a massive vacuum in Brazilian sports journalism.
Why This Specific Manifest Changed Aviation and Sport
This wasn't just "another crash." It was a systemic failure. The investigation by Colombian authorities, with help from Brazilian and UK experts, revealed a terrifying trend of "fuel gambling." The airline had been flying on the absolute edge of its range for months.
They were basically playing Russian Roulette with a plane full of people.
The crash forced CONMEBOL and FIFA to look at how charter flights are vetted for sports teams. It shouldn't be about the cheapest bid. It should be about safety protocols. Unfortunately, for the 71 people who died, that realization came too late.
The response from the football world was unprecedented. Atlético Nacional, the team Chapecoense was supposed to play, asked CONMEBOL to award the trophy to Chapecoense as a tribute. They did. It was a gesture of pure class in an industry that’s usually quite cutthroat.
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The Logistics of the Tragedy: How It Happened
The flight was a "deadly cocktail" of human error and corporate negligence. The plane was a British Aerospace 146. It’s a rugged aircraft, often called the "Jumbolino" because of its four engines. But four engines burn a lot of fuel.
The distance from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to Medellín is about 2,972 kilometers.
The range of a fully loaded BAe 146 is... almost exactly that.
There was no margin for error. No room for a holding pattern. When the flight was told to wait for another plane with a suspected fuel leak to land first, the Chapecoense plane simply ran out of juice. First one engine flamed out. Then the second. Then the electrics went dark.
The "black box" recordings are harrowing. You hear the pilots finally admitting they have a "total electric failure" and "no fuel." But by then, they were already dropping into the mountains.
Actionable Insights for Air Travel Safety and Legacy
When looking back at who was on the plane that crashed, we should take away more than just sadness. There are real-world applications for how we handle group travel and safety today.
- Demand Transparency in Charters: If you are ever in a position to book group travel—whether for a corporate event, a school trip, or a sports team—never go with the lowest bidder without seeing their safety record and "fueling philosophy."
- The "Safety Culture" Check: Aviation experts look for "Safety Management Systems" (SMS). The airline, LaMia, had a culture of bypassing rules to save money. If an organization feels like it's "cutting corners," it probably is.
- Support the Survivors' Foundations: Many of the families of the victims are still embroiled in legal battles for compensation nearly a decade later. Organizations like the Associação dos Familiares e Amigos das Vítimas do Voo da Chapecoense (AFAV-C) work to ensure that the families aren't forgotten by the legal system.
- Acknowledge Mental Health in Sports: The survivors, particularly Alan Ruschel and Jakson Follmann, have been vocal about the "survivor's guilt" they face. Supporting athletes' mental health is just as vital as their physical recovery.
The story of the Chapecoense crash is a reminder that behind every "keyword" and every headline, there are human connections. There was a captain, a father-to-be, a legendary commentator, and a flight attendant who just wanted to get home. They were more than a manifest. They were a community that, even in death, forced the world to look at the sky and demand better.
To truly honor those on the plane, we have to remember the joy they felt in the terminal before the takeoff. They were winners before the game even started.
To stay updated on aviation safety standards and the ongoing legal developments regarding the LaMia crash, you should follow the official bulletins from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Their "Safety Reports" often use the Chapecoense incident as a case study for preventing fuel-related accidents in regional charters. Additionally, keeping an eye on the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announcements can provide insight into how the club, Chapecoense, continues to rebuild its squad and honor the 2016 team through their youth academies and annual memorials.