Air Canada A319 near Toronto on Oct 3rd 2012, fuel emergency

Last Update: October 16, 2012 / 19:31:56 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Oct 3, 2012

Classification
Incident

Airline
Air Canada

Flight number
AC-778

Destination
Toronto, Canada

Aircraft Registration
C-FYJH

Aircraft Type
Airbus A319

ICAO Type Designator
A319

An Air Canada Airbus A319-100, registration C-FYJH performing flight AC-778 from San Diego,CA (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 121 people on board, was about to descend towards Toronto in deteriorating weather when the crew advised they were nearing minimum fuel, ATC granted priority to the aircraft and sequenced the aircraft ahead of another aircraft with more fuel. The aircraft subsequently was vectored to enter a hold prompting the crew to declare Mayday, the aircraft was vectored onto final approach and landed safely on runway 05 after a total flight time of 4:38 hours (usual flight time 3:55 to 4:10 hours).

The airline advised that due to the deteriorating weather the alternate airport had been changed from Greater Buffalo,NY (USA) 50nm southsoutheast of Toronto to Hamilton,ON (Canada) 40nm southwest of Toronto. The crew advised dispatch some time out that they were going minimum fuel, dispatch therefore arranged to slot the aircraft ahead of another flight with more fuel for holding. NAV Canada instructed the aircraft to fly direct to a waypoint close to the final approach fix for runway 05 and advised to expect a CAT II approach, RVR 1800 feet. After some calculations the crew declared minimum fuel. While inbound on an extended final ATC vectored the aircraft 5nm off track, the crew queried and repeated they were on minimum fuel, however, ATC subsequently turned the aircraft away from Toronto which prompted the crew to declare Mayday. The aircraft was immediately turned back towards Toronto landed without further incident, 1600 kg of fuel were remaining (required minimum fuel reserve 1000 kg). The crew filed an air safety report stating that the vectors on approach to Toronto would have put the aircraft into an emergency fuel situation, the decision to declare Mayday ensured an acceptable level of safety was maintained.

The Canadian TSB reported that the aircraft was enroute when the weather conditions at Toronto deteriorated to CAT II minimums in fog. ATC was advised the aircraft would need minimum fuel handling on arrival, the aircraft was resequenced to land ahead of another flight. However, on approach to Toronto the aircraft was radar vectored to a hold, which "would have jeopardized the minimum fuel requirements", the crew thus declared Mayday.



Metars:
CYYZ 040400Z 19005KT 15SM FEW040 BKN240 16/15 A3011 RMK SC2CI2 SLP197=
CYYZ 040300Z 17004KT 3SM BR SCT002 BKN040 17/17 A3010 RMK FG2SF2SC4 SLP193=
CYYZ 040200Z 15006KT 1/8SM R05/0700V0900FT/N R06L/1400FT/N FG VV001 17/16 A3009 RMK FG8 SLP190=
CYYZ 040100Z 15004KT 1/8SM R23/1800FT/N FG VV001 16/16 A3008 RMK FG8 SLP186=
CYYZ 040000Z 15003KT 1/8SM R23/P6000FT/N FG VV001 17/16 A3007 RMK FG8 SLP183=
CYYZ 032300Z 14003KT 4SM BR FEW008 SCT080 BKN210 17/16 A3006 RMK SF2AC2CI2 SLP179=
CYYZ 032200Z 12003KT 6SM HZ FEW008 SCT100 BKN250 19/17 A3004 RMK SF2AC2CI1 SLP173=
CYYZ 032100Z 00000KT 4SM BR BKN008 19/17 A3003 RMK SF7 SLP169=
CYYZ 032000Z 16004KT 1 1/4SM BR OVC003 18/17 A3004 RMK ST8 SLP173=
CYYZ 031900Z 15005KT 1 1/4SM -DZ BR OVC003 17/17 A3003 RMK ST8 SLP170=

SPECI:
CYYZ 040249Z 18005KT 1/4SM R23/P6000FT/D R24R/3000V5000FT/U FG VV001 17/ RMK FG8=
CYYZ 040235Z 17006KT 1/8SM R05/3000VP6000FT/U R06L/4500VP6000FT/D FG VV001 17/ RMK FG8=
CYYZ 040226Z 19005KT 3SM BR SCT014 BKN059 17/ RMK FG2SF2SC3=
CYYZ 032356Z 15003KT 1/8SM R23/P6000FT/N FG VV001 17/ RMK FG8=
CYYZ 032040Z 00000KT 3SM BR OVC006 18/ RMK ST8=
CYYZ 032019Z 15003KT 1 1/2SM BR OVC004 18/ RMK ST8=
CYYZ 031926Z 16005KT 1 1/4SM -DZ BR OVC001 17/ RMK ST8=

TAF:
CYYZ 040020Z 0400/0506 15003KT 1/8SM FG VV001 BECMG 0400/0402 4SM BR FEW008 SCT080 BKN220 FM040200 21005KT 6SM BR FEW008 SCT050 TEMPO 0402/0404 4SM BR BKN006 PROB30 0402/0404 1/4SM FG VV001 FM040900 21007KT P6SM FEW008 SCT050 PROB30 0409/0413 4SM BR BKN008 FM041500 23015G25KT P6SM BKN030 FM042100 24012KT P6SM FEW040 BECMG 0501/0503 24008KT RMK NXT FCST BY 040300Z=
CYYZ 032339Z 0400/0506 14003KT 6SM HZ FEW008 SCT080 BKN220 TEMPO 0400/0403 3SM BR BKN006 BECMG 0401/0403 21007KT FM040900 21007KT P6SM FEW008 SCT050 PROB30 0409/0413 4SM BR BKN008 FM041500 23015G25KT P6SM BKN030 FM042100 24012KT P6SM FEW040 BECMG 0501/0503 24008KT RMK NXT FCST BY 040300Z=
CYYZ 032322Z 0323/0424 13003KT 6SM HZ FEW008 BKN050 TEMPO 0323/0403 3SM BR BKN008 BECMG 0401/0403 21005KT FM040900 21007KT P6SM FEW008 SCT050 PROB30 0409/0413 4SM BR BKN008 BECMG 0415/0417 22015G25KT FM041700 22015G25KT P6SM BKN030 RMK NXT FCST BY 040000Z=
CYYZ 032038Z 0321/0424 15005KT 11/2SM -DZ BR OVC004 TEMPO 0321/0322 21/2SM BR OVC012 FM032200 21007KT P6SM BKN060 TEMPO 0322/0323 3SM BR BKN008 FM040900 18005KT P6SM FEW010 SCT030 BECMG 0415/0417 22015G25KT FM041700 22015G25KT P6SM BKN030 RMK NXT FCST BY 040000Z=
CYYZ 031952Z 0319/0424 16005KT 11/2SM -DZ BR OVC001 TEMPO 0319/0321 3SM BR OVC008 FM032100 19007KT 3SM BR OVC008 TEMPO 0321/0323 P6SM NSW OVC012 FM032300 21007KT P6SM BKN025 FM040900 18005KT P6SM FEW010 SCT030 BECMG 0415/0417 22015G25KT FM041700 22015G25KT P6SM BKN030 RMK NXT FCST BY 032100Z=
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Oct 3, 2012

Classification
Incident

Airline
Air Canada

Flight number
AC-778

Destination
Toronto, Canada

Aircraft Registration
C-FYJH

Aircraft Type
Airbus A319

ICAO Type Designator
A319

This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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