From everything I've read and heard in the Canadian media, the aircraft made a straight-in approach to Lajes Field from the northeast. A reputable source is Paul Koring of the Globe and Mail newspaper, who is considerably more knowledgeable on aviation-related matters than the average Canadian journalist; Koring wrote extensively on SR 111. In his article of Aug 31, he gives the following sequence of events (all times local = Zulu):
0458hrs: Fuel check by crew shows no abnormalities. A/C is NNW of the Azores at Fl 390.
0536: Crew notices fuel imbalance.
0541: Concerned about fuel quantity, pilot changes course for the Azores, 540 km away to the SW.
0548: Pilot decides there is a fuel leak and declares emergency.
0613: Still at FL 390, right engine fails, 217 km from Lajes.
0625: At FL 345, left engine fails, 137 km from Lajes.
0634: A/c has reached FL 130 and is 13 km from Lajes.
0646: Landing at Lajes.
Note that my earlier post contains an error: at FL 130 in the glide, the a/c was 13 km, not miles, from the field.
Rockhound