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Vistara UK944 lands with 200kg fuel

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Vistara UK944 lands with 200kg fuel

Old 18th Jul 2019, 17:59
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Not a pilot, what should they have done differently?
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Old 18th Jul 2019, 18:08
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I also await the responses ... to me (not a pilot but ex-ATCO) they were clearly juggling options in less than ideal weather conditions.
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Old 18th Jul 2019, 18:14
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During monsoon in India I would opt for some extra fuel.
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Old 18th Jul 2019, 19:41
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The report implies at fuel of 1260kg they accepted an instruction to climb to FL100 for another diversion. That scares me.

As good as forecasts can be, weather is unpredictable and can catch the best people out with little notice. They obviously started with a fair chunk of extra fuel.

There comes a point when you have to land and to me the safest action at the 1260kg fuel point would be to fly another approach immediately, declare a mayday as you know you'll be below final reserve, and quickly brief how you plan to fly an approach and it's doubtful you'll be visual at CAT1 minima (not sure of approaches available) but you will continue to land.

That said I'm using hindsight, and unfamiliar with the airfields.
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Old 18th Jul 2019, 20:30
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If they went around from Delhi because of the tailwind on 29 why not land on 11? its also CAT3b. They had 90 mins of fuel at that point to wait out ATC changing runway. I have been to DEL so I know its easier said than done, but if its out of limits for 1 A320 then it is for at least some of the others too.

Lucknow 27 is also CAT3B so why would an RVR of 275m be an issue there? As Total Pressure says, even if the crew aren't CAT 3 trained or the aircraft isn't fully capable, surely, at some point the greatest threat to the aircraft is running out of fuel?

Is there something we don't know about the aircraft technical state either at dispatch or on approach?
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Old 18th Jul 2019, 21:25
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Letter states 260 kg of fuel when they landed.
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Old 18th Jul 2019, 23:04
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Did they do a go around with less than 1.500 kgs in the tanks?
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Old 18th Jul 2019, 23:15
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They beat the Virgin Australia record at Mildura.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...be75067d4f11aa
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Old 18th Jul 2019, 23:18
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Originally Posted by iggy
Did they do a go around with less than 1.500 kgs in the tanks?
looks like 1260kg when they discontinued and started a 90 odd mile divert. Then when 37 miles into the divert the weather improves and they went back, fuel 500kg as they turned around with 37 miles to run.

There has to be more to the story.
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Old 18th Jul 2019, 23:22
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3400Kg overhead a 3 runway airport with CAT3B would seem to me to be the point to go back to.

If it was tailwind and not RVR, did they ask for the reciprocal? If they did, why was it refused?

Did others divert?
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Old 19th Jul 2019, 02:54
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Now on avherald.

Incident: Vistara A20N at Lucknow on Jul 15th 2019, landed with just 260kg of fuel remaining
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Old 19th Jul 2019, 03:25
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Assuming the runways had ILS, it seems like the PIC should have exercised emergency authority a lot earlier. I hope this isn't one of those cases where the reasoning was that "the book says we can't..."
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Old 19th Jul 2019, 13:19
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Originally Posted by sonicbum
"The pilots are cleared to resume their normal flying duties". Wtf ?
The wording makes it seem like a punitive culture, however when an investigation is started following a serious incident, it is normal practice to relief all relevant crew from their duties pending interviews. This is done purely to not diffuse ones memory of the respective flight.

Regarding the safest action; when no other options are available any more, busting abstract limitations like tailwind on a long runway or RVR on a runway which is autoland capable, is more safe than ending up without fuel. The first page in our OM-A even describes that in the interest of safety the commander is allowed to deviate from rules and regulations.
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Old 19th Jul 2019, 13:30
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Talking

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
I'm confused - are you saying that the fact it's blurred suggests that it is, or isn't, the incident aircraft ?

One would hope that not too many other opportunities arise to record a reading like that.

Of course the lack of focus would make it easier to Photoshop.
I think the photo was blurred because the pilot's hand was still trembling after they landed.
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Old 19th Jul 2019, 13:38
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Lucky they had Lucknow on their side. A few minutes later, they would have ran out of Luck.
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Old 19th Jul 2019, 13:39
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Thx God they didn't try to reach Allahabad...(about 100 NM from Lucknow).
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Old 20th Jul 2019, 01:13
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An oldie but a goodie

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Old 20th Jul 2019, 02:05
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Was there an ILS in Lucknow? Seems like it given the RVRs listed on AVherald. They were overhead with minimum fuel (1100kg), that was the point they should have done an autoland regardless, and if they get visual, take the autopilot out for a manual landing. If the RVR is 1m, the autoland system doesn't care. I appreciate that terrain (rather than ILS quality/lighting) might prohibit the autolanding on a technical basis, but a dodgy autoland is probably a lot more comfortable than actually running out of fuel whilst still in the air.

Also, someone correct me, but is a modern A320 with FLS capable of landing automatically from an NPA with a MAP over the threshold? This aircraft was an A320 neo so quite possibly technically equipped for that as an even laster last resort?

Scary stuff all the same, those lucky people!!
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Old 20th Jul 2019, 10:42
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Originally Posted by giggitygiggity

Also, someone correct me, but is a modern A320 with FLS capable of landing automatically from an NPA with a MAP over the threshold? This aircraft was an A320 neo so quite possibly technically equipped for that as an even laster last resort?

Scary stuff all the same, those lucky people!!
Don't konow the neo, but autoland on A320 ILS only.
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Old 20th Jul 2019, 10:45
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NEO is the same. Autoland is possible only with ILS.
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