Ryanair Flight Nearly Ran Out of Fuel During Storm Amy Landing
A Ryanair flight came dangerously close to running out of fuel after struggling with strong winds from Storm Amy during multiple failed landing attempts in Scotland last week.
Flight FR3418 from Pisa declared a mayday after two unsuccessful landings at Glasgow Prestwick Airport and a third aborted attempt at Edinburgh. The Boeing 737-800 eventually landed safely in Manchester with only six minutes of fuel remaining.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has opened an investigation into the “serious incident,” which occurred on October 3.
Passenger Alexander Marchi told the Ayr Advertiser: “After leaving late from Pisa because of a general strike and protesters invading the tarmac at the airport we were worried that we wouldn’t get to Prestwick before the storm hit.”
By the time the plane touched down in Manchester, it had just 220kg of fuel left, according to the Daily Express. EU safety rules require at least 30 minutes of reserve fuel — around 1,200kg — at landing, raising concerns about how close the flight came to the safety limit.
Storm Amy was bringing winds up to 100mph across northern Britain at the time. Weather monitors at Prestwick recorded gusts above 50mph, while Edinburgh saw winds near 60mph, well above the 737’s maximum demonstrated crosswind of 41mph.
A 737 pilot told the Telegraph that the crew likely faced windshear, a sudden change in wind speed or direction that can cause an aircraft to drop unexpectedly. “It highlights the issue of windshear being a mandatory go-around,” the pilot said.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “Ryanair reported this to the relevant authorities on Friday (Oct 3)… we are unable to comment further.”
An AAIB representative added: “The AAIB has commenced an investigation… Inspectors have begun making enquiries and gathering evidence.”
