Incident: XXX B738 at Alicante and Valencia on May 14th 2010, fuel emergency.
A XXX Boeing 737-800, registration XX-XXX performing flight XXX from London Stansted, EN
(UK) to Alicante, SP (Spain), was on approach to Alicante's runway 10 but went around due to
weather conditions. The crew subsequently attempted an approach to runway 28 but went around
again due to winds and decided to divert to Valencia (72 NM north of Alicante) declaring PAN
being below the final fuel reserve. While on approach to Valencia the crew declared MAYDAY and
performed a safe landing on Valencia's runway 12.
The Spanish CIAIAC reported, that following the landing in Valencia remaining fuel was
measured: 440kg of fuel were found in tank 1 (left hand), 470kg in tank 2 (right hand) and 0kg in
center tank.
The airplane was refueled and continued to Alicante. An investigation has been initiated, the
airplane reached Alicante with a delay of 2:25 hours.
METARS Alicante:
LEAL 142200Z 28009KT 250V310 9999 FEW035 17/02 Q1014 NOSIG
LEAL 142130Z 29009KT 9999 FEW035 16/01 Q1014 NOSIG
LEAL 142100Z 28010KT 9999 FEW035 17/01 Q1014 NOSIG
LEAL 142030Z 28009KT 9999 FEW030 17/M00 Q1013 NOSIG
LEAL 142000Z 29010KT 9999 FEW030 18/M01 Q1013 NOSIG
LEAL 141930Z 28009KT 9999 FEW030 18/M01 Q1012 NOSIG
LEAL 141900Z 01003KT 330V070 9999 FEW030 16/07 Q1012 NOSIG
LEAL 141830Z VRB02KT 9999 FEW030 16/07 Q1012 NOSIGLEAL 141800Z VRB03G16KT 9999 SCT045 19/M01 Q1011 NOSIG
LEAL 141730Z VRB02KT 9999 FEW025 SCT045 18/05 Q1011 NOSIG
LEAL 141700Z 27008KT 230V320 9999 FEW025 SCT045 20/M01 Q1011 NOSIG
LEAL 141630Z 34009G19KT 280V060 9999 FEW025TCU SCT045 19/M00 Q1011 NOSIG
LEAL 141600Z 31013KT 270V340 9999 FEW025TCU SCT045 20/M01 Q1011 NOSIG
METARS Valencia:
LEVC 142000Z 15003KT 9999 FEW035 14/06 Q1012 NOSIG
LEVC 141930Z 11004KT 9999 FEW035 14/06 Q1011 NOSIG
LEVC 141900Z 13005KT 9999 FEW045 15/06 Q1011 NOSIG
LEVC 141830Z 15005KT 9999 FEW045 16/05 Q1011 NOSIG
LEVC 141800Z 14005KT 110V170 9999 SCT045 16/06 Q1011 NOSIG
LEVC 141730Z 16007KT 130V190 9999 SCT045 16/05 Q1010 NOSIG
LEVC 141700Z 14006KT 100V180 9999 FEW040 16/05 Q1010 NOSIG
LEVC 141630Z 14008KT 100V180 9999 FEW030 16/05 Q1010 NOSIG
LEVC 141600Z 13005KT 080V170 9999 FEW030TCU 17/05 Q1010 BECMG NSW
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Pilot fury at Ryanair fuel ration
(da TIMES ON LINE del 31 Agosto 2008).
Ryanair pilots have denounced as "insane" attempts to pressurize them into flying with less fuel by
imposing a cap on their safety reserves. The low-cost airline is saving money by curbing the
discretionary rights of pilots to request extra fuel.
The disclosure, contained in internal company documents seen by The Sunday Times, has led to
claims that the safety of passengers is being compromised. Its pilots must now abide by a maximum
limit of 300kg of extra fuel, which the memo states costs £180 (€227). This typically provides 4
minutes of extra stacking time for a Boeing 737.
Under European rules, every plane must carry a "contingency" load of about 5% of the trip fuel and
enough to carry out an approach, divert to an alternative airport or hold for 30 minutes at an
alternative airport. Captains also have a legal duty to anticipate delays from headwinds, storms and
re-routing, and to request extra fuel to cope with this. In the Ryanair memo sent to pilots in May,
the company insisted that any such request by a captain should be the "exception".
According to the Irish Aviation Authority there was one fuel emergency declared this year where an
aircraft had to divert to an alternative airport. On seven occasions aircraft diverted because of fuel
limitations without declaring an emergency.
In 2007 two fuel-related maydays were declared and three
aircraft were forced to declare priority for landing because of low
fuel. Ten others diverted due to low fuel.
Britain's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says the number of
emergencies declared in British airspace because of fuel
shortages has doubled since 2003. The figure rose from 11 to 27
last year.
Evan Cullen, president of the Irish Airline Pilots' Association,
said commercial pressure from airlines on pilots to pare down the
amount of fuel they carry is compromising safety.
"Due to the high price of fuel, pilots are being targeted. They are
being frightened into taking on less fuel which, in turn, is
narrowing safety margins. It is up to the pilot to withstand the
pressure, but it is not easy," Cullen said.
Indicatori carburante B737-400
3
The weight of extra fuel costs money: pilots typically burn about 4% of their load just on carrying
the fuel. The 14-point memo sent to Ryanair pilots warned that all requests for extra fuel have to be
put in writing, with failure to do so resulting in a formal warning letter.
The memo said that 95% of captains were still taking extra fuel, despite its edict, and listed a series
of their justifications that it would no longer accept.
Some pilots were pointing to CAA guidance, which states that they should take enough fuel to cope
with the standard stacking time of 20 minutes over busy UK airports. But the memo states: "Ryanair
can statistically prove that 20 minutes' fuel is not required in LTN or STN. Therefore it is not
Ryanair policy to carry this fuel." This fuel is usually taken from the pilot's discretionary reserve.
Pilots are also refused extra fuel for observing altitude restrictions imposed by air traffic controllers.
One pilot said: "It is insane to push pilots to fly with the minimum fuel and take the risk of ending
with a low fuel situation and maybe no place to go because the only diversion airport within reach
will be mobbed by other airplanes."
A spokesman for Ryanair rejected claims that pilots are allowed to fly with minimum fuel. But he
admitted that pilots were allowed extra fuel only in "exceptional cases", adding that "pilots who fail
to comply with any of Ryanair's safety procedures will always receive written warnings". He said
Ryanair had suffered one mayday in the past three years from fuel shortages. He was unable to