The side, which entered Brazil’s first division in 2014 for the first time since the 1970s, was preparing to play on Wednesday in the first of a two-leg Copa Sudamericana final against Medellin’s Atletico Nacional.
Atletico Nacional has tweeted to express its sympathies.
Chapecoense celebrate winning their Copa Sudamericana semi-final
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The team celebrates its Copa Sudamericana semi-final win
It is not yet clear what caused the aircraft – operated by charter airline LaMia – to come down, but Colombia has been experiencing heavy rain and thunderstorms.
The head of Colombia’s civil aviation agency, Alfredo Bocanegra, said reported comments from a female flight attendant that the plane had run out of fuel were being evaluated.
The main line of inquiry, however, is that there was an electrical failure.
The bad weather has made access to the crash site difficult, causing the rescue operation to be suspended in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Low visibility meant an air force helicopter had to turn back.
Local fire department chief Edison Gutierrez said: “If it’s not four-wheel drive vehicles, you can’t get in.”
Radar shows the plane was circling before it landed.
According to local radio, the same plane had carried Argentina’s national squad to a match earlier this month in Brazil, and had also been used by the Venezuelan national team.
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