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first officer, the pilot handling the radios told them they could no longer make boston. that very significant statement was lost on air traffic control. >> at 9:22 p.m., avianca flight 52 is cleared to land but with an extremely low cloud ceiling above jfk the pilot misses the attempt. the plane is again diverted from the airport. >> nowhere did the first officer ever use the word, "emergency." if that word had been used they would have given them immediate priority to try to get them on the ground. >> climb, maintain 3,000. >> we're just -- finding out if -- okay. 3,000, we're -- okay. >> 9:34 p.m., flight 52 runs out of fuel. the engines flame out.
cause of the crash is human error. that simply the flight crew did not effectively manage their fuel or convey how low the fuel levels were. >> when we talked to the controllers today at the trecon, none of them were aware of the priority concern and the fuel concern. >> the crash of avianca flight 52 shows despite dramatic advances in aviation technology, clear communication from the cockpit to air traffic control is key to a safe flight. >> i think that our crew should there is a comprehension. >> i think that our crew should have been more aggressive and more transparent in expressing
first officer, who was the pilot handling the radios, told them they could no longer make boston. and that very significant statement was lost on air traffic control. >> at 9:22 pm, avianca flight 52 is finally cleared to land. but with an extremely low cloud ceiling above jfk and strong wind shear, the pilot misses the attempt. the plane is again diverted from the airport. >> nowhere did the first officer ever use the word emergency. if that word had been used, they would have given them immediate priority to try to get them on the ground. >> avianca 52 climb to maintain 3000. >> negative, sir. we are just running out of fuel. >> okay. >> at 9:34 p.m., flight 52 runs out of the fuel, the engines flame out. passenger nester zarate remembers that horrible silence. >> the lack of that noise is
have been all incinerated. >> the ntsb report says the cause of the crash is human error, that simply the flight crew did not effectively manage their fuel or convey how low the fuel levels were. >> when we talked to the controllers today, none of them were aware of the priority concern and the fuel concern. >> the crash of avianca flight 52 shows that despite dramatic advances in aviation technology, clear communication from the cockpit to air traffic control is key to a safe flight. >> it reinforced an ongoing issue that we faced worldwide in aviation, to make sure that there is not only the transmission of a word, but that there is a transmission ofç understanding. there's a comprehension. >> i think that our crew should have been more aggressive and more transparent in expressing the need to have a preferential
was lost on air traffic control. >> at 9:22 p.m., avianca flight 52 is finally cleared to land. but with an extremely low cloud ceiling above jfk and strong wind shear, the pilot misses the attempt. the plane is again diverted from the airport. >> nowhere did the first ever use the word "emergency." if that word had been used, there would have been immediate priority to get them on the ground. >> at 9:34 p.m., flight 52 runs out of fuel. the engines flame out. the passenger remembers the horrible silence. >> the lack of that noise is sort of -- it's a horrendous impression. you have the wind against the fuselage.
levels were. >> when we talked to the controllers today none of them were aware of a priority concern and the fuel concern. >> the crash of avianca flight 52 shows despite dramatic advances in aviation technology, clear communication from the cockpit to air traffic control is key to a safe flight. >> it reinforced an ongoing issue that we faced worldwide at aviation to make sure there's not only the transmission of a word but that there is a transmission of understanding. there's a comprehension. >> i think that our crew should have been more aggressive and more transparent in expressing the need to have a preferential treatment that night. >> they waited too long.
of any kind. it turns out the plane simply runs out of fuel. but how can such a fatal blunder happen? january 25th, 1990. when avianca flight 52 leaves colombia just after 3:00 p.m., the tanks have more than enough fuel for the 2,100 mile troeup new york. >> they had approximately 81,000 pounds of jet fuel on the airplane when they departed. they had done the calculations for the flight plan, the a lot of fuel they would burn, a reserve for holding fuel and also enough fuel to go to boston and land. >> with more than enough fuel, that shouldn't be a problem, but it as soon as becomes one. >> in new york, the weather was bad. so as they came up the east
when the boeing 707 crashes into a hillside in oyster bay, the cockpit breaks off, killing the pilot and flight engineer. they're only 16 miles from the airport. >> come on, somebody get the back here. >> miraculously, 85 of 158 people onboard survive the impact. >> they are pinned beneath the wreckage, but there is no fires. >> clearly, the plane if the plane had been full of fuel they would have been all incinerated. >> the ntsb report says the cause of the crash is human error, that simply the flight crew did not effectively manage their fuel or convey how low the fuel levels were. >> when we talked to the controllers today none of them were aware of the priority concern and the fuel concern. >> the crash of avianca flight
attempt. the plane is again, diverted from the airport. >> nowhere did the first officer ever use the word emergency. if that word had been used they would have given them immediate priority to try to get them on the ground. >> avianca 52, climb, maintain 3,000. >> we're running out of fuel. >> okay. >> at 9:34 p.m., flight 52 runs out of fuel. the engines flame out. passenger nestor zarate remembers that horrible silence. >> the lack of that noise is horrendous impression because you have the wind against the fuselage. so that moment there was pandemonium. >> the crew calmly tells air traffic control that the engines have failed. they are quickly routed back to jfk, but it is too late.
minutes. around 8:20 p.m. they have 14,000 tons of fuel left, enough for another hour in the air. >> that's when the flight engineer should have made sure that the fuel levels were fine. >> ovianca, heavy. i'll turn you back to the approach. is that fine with you and your fuel? >> i guess so. thank you very much. >> they inquired with air traffic controllers about how much longer it's going to be. they were complaining about their fuel levels and air control asked where the alternate was, which was boston. the pilot handling the ridio told them that they could no longer make boston and that very significant statement was lost the on air traffic control. >> at 9:22 p.m.avianca flight 52 is finally cleared to land, but with an extremely low cloud ceiling above jfk and strong wind shear, the pilot misses the