NOD:
It was not a "Nigel" aircraft. It had originated from the far east, had been held down and then re-routed from Afghanistan across Iran.
Sorry to be so vague. I don't want to be specific because this guy was clearly caught out by extreme circumstances and I really felt for him. He landed (just about) on minimum reserve and so hasn't broken any rules, it seems. My sole purpose in starting this thread was not to embarrass the poor guy but to encourage anybody who finds themselves in this position, be it their error or not, to declare PAN early so that we can effectively manage the situation. We must guard against ever getting to MAYDAY due to fuel.
I also wish to emphasise the lack of capacity at LHR and how tight the final reserve seems to leave you guys. I find it difficult to understand that no allowance is made for a technical problem with the aircraft at an inopportune moment. I feel quite certain that if one day somebody is forced to land an aircraft with half the gear up because he didn't have the fuel to address that issue we would say the limits were wrong.
Point 4
