Air Transat Airbus A330-243 plane crash
Lajes, Terciera Isl, Portugal
Updated on
The aircraft was on a passenger flight from Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Lisbon, Portugal when a problem developed with the fuel system approximately 300 NM (540 km) northeast of Terciera Island, Azores Islands, Portugal. The crew elected to divert to Terciera Island for an emergency landing. The Captain reported that approximately 100 NM (180 km) from the airport, the left engine failed, and some ten minutes later, the right engine failed as well. The aircraft, using a minimal amount of hydraulic and electrical power supplied from its Ram Air Turbine, continued gliding toward Terciera Island in a gradual descent. The Captain reported that the flight arrived over Terciera Island at FL150 (15,000 feet – 4500 m), at dawn, and so he elected to make a visual approach to the airport with no engine power.
The total flying time without engine power was in the neighbourhood of 17 to 18 minutes. The aircraft sustained minor damage during the landing, including damage to the landing gear as twelve tires exploded upon touchdown. None of the 298 passengers and crew members was injured.
Reports indicate that a fuel line which had been replaced several days before became severed, leading to a fuel leak of approximately 37,000 gallons over the Atlantic Ocean.