todays info... includes translated audio... at 3:12 anther plane asks if they have delcared... think it was obvious it was needed at this point.
www.youtube.com/watch;feature=youtu.be
also, 5:12 is interesting.
The ATC audio conversation when they check in with the controller at Medellin doesn't show any obvious urgency on part of the Captain, when they were already obviously in a fuel emergency. There is no language barrier like the Avianca 52 flight here, all conversations are in Spanish. The Captain only requests "priority" due to a "fuel problem". Only when he flames out he declares an emergency and tells the controller they're out of fuel. The "electrical failure" issue is likely due to the fact that generators don't work too well when the engines stop turning.
if this (below) copy/paste is accurate, appears criminal to me.
www.scribd.com/.../3329...vos
Here is a brief translation of the report on the discrepancies found with the flight plan, which were communicated by the agent who took the paperwork to the airline's dispatcher:
#1 SID: No SID (response by dispatcher= Please ma'am, go ahead and fill it in yourself)
#2 Alternate: "I pointed out several times that an additional alternate was needed other than SKBO" (response by dispatcher=Leave it like that, that's what my Captain said so leave it like that ma'am)
#3 Range: ETE is the same as the fuel endurance. Conversation as follows:
Dispatcher: That's what it is, that's what they told me and that's what the Captain said.
Agent: That's incorrect, check into it and correct the flight plan.
Dispatcher: That's what it is ma'am. Those are the numbers they've given me for the flight plan.
Agent: But the ETE and the range are the same, you guys made a mistake and don't want to correct it.
Dispatcher: No ma'am, that range is what they've given me, we have enough.
Agent: No it isn't, because it's the same as the estimated time en route.
Dispatcher: Yes, this is how I'm showing it. We'll do it [the flight] in less time, don't worry about it, this is it. Take it easy, it's all good, leave it as it is.
Agent: No further argument following the stubornness displayed by the flight dispatcher.
#4 Flight dispatcher name: Name missing, only signature shown.
Further comments by the agent:
-Following these and other observations, the dispatcher left. I told him if any revisions were made to the flight plan, in particular 2 of the remarks (alternate and fuel endurance), to bring a revised flight plan when he returned to pick up the weather folder and NOTAM info.
-He returned about 30 minutes later to pick up all the flight information and pointed out that there were no changes made to the flight plan.
-To this reply, I made my displeasure known and told him that too frequently flight dispatchers do not take our comments seriously.