Plane crashes in Colombia because it ran out of fuel.

[meridannight]

why would the air traffic controller not give them priority...

I failed to mention that there was another plane with a mechanical failure approaching the airport at the same time. That one was initially given the priority to land. However, a little while after that the ATC realized LaMia's urgency and it was indeed finally given priority landing (the plane with the mechanical failure hadn't landed yet, it was delayed). But it was too late for LaMia.

The crash resulted from the plane not being able to clear a mountain in its path (otherwise it would have made it to the airport. Planes out of fuel don't just fall from the sky, they can glide to land depending on circumstances).

As you can see on the flight path image up on my first post, the plane would clearly have made it safely to the airport, if the ATC had given it permission to land immediately or if there hadn't been that other plane with a malfunction in the air. It was a difference of just a few minutes here. This was such a close one that it's not funny.

Medellin air traffic controllers asked the LaMia pilot to wait while another flight made an emergency landing. Details on the length of the wait and problems with the other flight were not immediately available.

A plane flying nearby had asked for priority in landing because of an emergency, minutes before the Lamia plane crashed.

As a result, according to reports, air traffic control told other approaching planes, including the Lamia flight, to fly holding patterns.

This is complete coincidence of a few unfortunate factors that it didn't. Of course, if it had had enough fuel in the first place, all of this would have never happened either.

The Guardian

Regarding LaMia's suspension:

Bolivian authorities said they were suspending LaMia’s operating license and replacing the management of its aviation authority to ensure a transparent investigation. It said that neither decision implied wrongdoing.