Alitalia A320 at Rome and Pisa on Jul 5th 2011, fuel emergency

Last Update: January 9, 2013 / 17:39:15 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jul 5, 2011

Classification
Incident

Airline
Alitalia

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320

ICAO Type Designator
A320

Italian ANSV reported in an interim statement on Jan 9th 2013, that the aircraft departed Milan Linate with 5000kg of fuel on board at 06:16Z, which included 354 kg of extra fuel. Rome Ciampino was planned as the alternate aerodrome.

About 60nm north of Fiumicino Airport the crew was informed that weather conditions at Fiumicino had worsened, windshear was in the approach path to both runways 16, and there were aircraft in holding patterns already waiting for arrival. EI-DTL was therefore instructed to hold at their present position (waypoint GITOD) 60nm north of Fiumicino. The crew checked the weather reports of Fiumicino and Ciampino Airports and decided to divert to Pisa in case a diversion would become necessary. After a few rounds in the hold at GITOD the aircraft was instructed to continue to TAQ VOR at low speed, where they would join another hold. Runway 25 only was active for arrivals at Fiumicino Airport. The crew advised that if landing wasn't assured within short time they would need to divert to Pisa. A few minutes later ATC instructed the aircraft to leave TAQ Vor on vectoring for an approach to runway 25, the crew realised the vectors would guide them away from the Fiumicino aerodrome and requested to shorten their flight path otherwise they would need to divert. After another frequency change, about 15nm south of the aerodrome still on vectors leading away from the aerodrome, the crew was instructed to fly to LAT VOR, 34nm south of the aerodrome, to join a hold there, the controller stated the preceding aircraft had not been able to land, too, due to worsening weather conditions.

The crew therefore decided to abandon the approach to Rome and to divert to Pisa. While enroute to Pisa the crew determined they would need to cut into their final fuel reserve before landing and declared emergency. The crew was vectored directly to an approach and landing on Pisa's runway 04 at 07:56Z.

The interim statement does not state how much fuel remained on board after landing and whether the aircraft landed with the final fuel reserve intact or with less than the required minimum fuel.
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jul 5, 2011

Classification
Incident

Airline
Alitalia

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320

ICAO Type Designator
A320

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