Malta Air B738 at Prestwick, Edinburgh and Manchester on Oct 3rd 2025, landed below minimum fuel

Last Update: October 10, 2025 / 15:02:55 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Oct 3, 2025

Classification
Incident

Airline
Malta Air

Flight number
FR-3418

Departure
Pisa, Italy

Destination
Prestwick, United Kingdom

Aircraft Registration
9H-QBD

Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-800

ICAO Type Designator
B738

A Malta Air Boeing 737-800 on behalf of Ryanair, registration 9H-QBD performing flight FR-3418 from Pisa (Italy) to Prestwick,SC (UK), was on final approach to Prestwick's runway 20 when the crew went around due to weather. The aircraft entered a hold, then attempted a second approach to runway 20 about 30 minutes after the go around, but again needed to go around. The aircraft again entered a hold, about 10 minutes after entering the hold the crew decided to divert to Edinburgh,SC (UK) where the aircraft joined the final approach to runway 24 about one hour after the first go around but again went around. The aircraft subsequently diverted to Manchester,EN (UK) where the aircraft landed on runway 23R about 110 minutes after the first go around.

On Oct 5th 2025 The Aviation Herald received information that the aircraft landed below minimum fuel with just 220kg fuel (total, 100kg in left and 120 kg in right tank) remaining.

The aircraft returned to service about 13 hours after landing.

On Oct 10th 2025 the AAIB reported the occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated.

A passenger reported after the first go around at Prestwick the crew announced, they would do another attempt to land at Prestwick, then divert to Manchester. Following the second go around the crew however announced they were now diverting to Edinburgh, only after the failed approach to Edinburgh the crew diverted to Manchester.

Metars Prestwick:
EGPK 032020Z 24031G46KT 9999 BKN034 13/07 Q0979=
EGPK 031950Z 24032G56KT 9999 BKN033 13/07 Q0979=
EGPK 031920Z 24029G48KT 9999 FEW033 SCT043 13/08 Q0979=
EGPK 031850Z 23029G46KT 9999 -RA FEW033 SCT039 BKN047 13/09 Q0978=
EGPK 031820Z 24029G43KT 9999 BKN035 14/08 Q0978=
EGPK 031750Z 24030G47KT 9999 -RA BKN035 15/10 Q0977=
EGPK 031720Z 23031G45KT 9999 FEW012 SCT025 BKN045 16/10 Q0976=
EGPK 031650Z 22034G51KT 9999 FEW012 SCT025 BKN045 17/11 Q0975=
EGPK 031620Z 20033G56KT 9999 FEW012 SCT025 BKN045 18/15 Q0975=
EGPK 031550Z 19035G45KT 4200 RA FEW005 BKN012 17/16 Q0975=
EGPK 031520Z 18030G41KT 5000 -RA FEW005 BKN012 17/15 Q0975=

Metars Edinburgh:
EGPH 032120Z AUTO 24032G45KT 9999 -RA SCT037/// BKN043/// 11/07 Q0976=
EGPH 032050Z 23030G42KT 9999 -RA FEW033 SCT040 BKN049 11/07 Q0976=
EGPH 032020Z 23031G45KT 9999 -RA BKN038 BKN049 12/07 Q0976=
EGPH 031950Z 24033G48KT 9999 -RA SCT034 BKN047 12/08 Q0976=
EGPH 031920Z 24034G52KT 5000 -RA SCT030 SCT034 BKN040 12/09 Q0976 RERA=
EGPH 031850Z 23035G46KT 9999 SCT030 BKN036 BKN040 13/08 Q0976 RERA=
EGPH 031820Z 24035G54KT 9999 RA SCT033 SCT038 BKN045 14/09 Q0975=
EGPH 031750Z 24035G49KT 8000 -RA FEW032 SCT041 BKN048 15/11 Q0975 RERA=
EGPH 031720Z 23035G46KT 5000 RA SCT035 BKN037 BKN046 17/13 Q0973 RERA=
EGPH 031650Z 21024G39KT 9999 VCSH FEW015 SCT025 BKN032 18/15 Q0973 RERA=
EGPH 031620Z 21026G38KT 4000 RA FEW014 SCT027 OVC039 17/15 Q0975=

Metars Manchester:
EGCC 032120Z AUTO 23018KT 9999 //////CB 15/07 Q0991=
EGCC 032050Z AUTO 24020KT 9999 SCT029/// //////CB 16/11 Q0991=
EGCC 032020Z AUTO 23016G29KT 9999 BKN028/// BKN035/// //////CB 17/13 Q0991=
EGCC 031950Z AUTO 23023G34KT 9999 //////CB 17/12 Q0990 TEMPO SHRA BKN012=
COR EGCC 031920Z 24022G37KT 9999 SCT011CB SCT026 18/15 Q0990 RERA TEMPO RA BKN012=
COR EGCC 031850Z 22016KT 8000 +RA BKN013CB BKN023 OVC033 18/17 Q0990 TEMPO RA=
COR EGCC 031820Z AUTO 20011KT 170V240 9999 -RA BKN012/// OVC020/// //////TCU 18/17 Q0990 TEMPO RA=
COR EGCC 031750Z AUTO 20011G22KT 130V230 9999 BKN008/// OVC016/// //////TCU 17/16 Q0990 TEMPO RA=
COR EGCC 031720Z 19012G23KT 140V220 5000 -RA BKN007TCU OVC016 17/16 Q0990 TEMPO RA=
COR EGCC 031650Z AUTO 19011KT 130V230 9999 -RA BKN008/// OVC013/// //////TCU 16/16 Q0991 RERA TEMPO RA=
EGCC 031620Z AUTO 20012G23KT 150V230 2900 +RA BKN007/// OVC017/// //////CB 16/15 Q0991=
COR EGCC 031550Z 18013G25KT 120V230 2800 RA BKN014CB OVC024 17/15 Q0992 TEMPO 6000 SCT014=
COR EGCC 031520Z 19012G22KT 150V230 9999 BKN013TCU BKN025 17/15 Q0993 TEMPO RA=
Incident Facts

Date of incident
Oct 3, 2025

Classification
Incident

Airline
Malta Air

Flight number
FR-3418

Departure
Pisa, Italy

Destination
Prestwick, United Kingdom

Aircraft Registration
9H-QBD

Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-800

ICAO Type Designator
B738

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