Originally Posted by
Mad (Flt) Scientist
Isn't that 30 minutes a requirement when planning the flight.
There must, logically, be circumstances where it acceptable to use your "reserve" and land practically empty, otherwise it's not really "reserve fuel", it's ballast!
I'd have thought it very possible they arrived at Montreal, their intended destination, with a perfectly acceptable fuel remaining, but then the combination of a hold at montreal (which may have exceeded the nominal hold for planning?) and then the diversion to ottawa used up most of that fuel?
Yes, but then it is a mandatory "mayday" when expecting to land with less than 30 minutes fuel. Did they declare? Also, would you not order immediate refueling and not wait 5 hours?
I know that the apu uses only one main tank, having flown the entire Boeing family, so it does not mean they had no fuel at all, just one main tank empty. I have no knowledge about airbus systems.