A probe was launched by the Air Accident Investigations Branch after the flight from Venice to Manchester diverted to London Stansted due to fuel leaking from the engine
A plane destined for Manchester was forced to make an emergency diversion before running out of fuel as gallons leaked from the engine due to a mid-flight malfunction.
The Air Accident Investigations Branch initiated an inquiry into the incident following the Ryanair flight on April 25 last year. The report, released today (April 9), stated that the flight from Venice to Manchester had to be rerouted to London Stansted around 1pm.
This was due to a fuel leak, which also heightened the risk of a fire upon landing the aircraft. Fire crews surrounded the plane on the runway and discovered a leak from the right engine.
The journey had to be abruptly diverted to London amid concerns about fuel leaking from the main tank.
The AAIB investigation found that the pilots aboard the Boeing 737 Max were slow to recognise the potential for a fuel leak, and also increased the likelihood of a fire by using thrust reversers to decelerate the plane during landing and not turning off the right engine.
Investigators concluded that this would have scattered spilt fuel around hot parts of the engine, further increasing the risk of a fire breaking out, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The Ryanair flight was initially delayed by an hour due to a failure in the company’s computer system. The report revealed that it was during this delay that the pilots noticed an imbalance had developed between the main fuel tanks, prompting them to carry out a fuel balancing procedure.
Upon reaching a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet, the commander observed the fuel imbalance reoccurring, continuing to cross-feed fuel into the affected right engine. Approximately 20 minutes later, the pilots noted that the right fuel tank was again low, with an imbalance of around 100kg every 10 minutes – suggesting a fuel leak.
The flight, carrying 191 passengers, was subsequently diverted to Stansted Airport. The report found that the pilots chose not to shut off the affected engine due to favourable weather conditions and the diversion being approximately 20 minutes away.
Want to see more of the stories you love from Belfast Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives… To add Belfast Live as a preferred source, simply click here.
The pilots successfully landed the plane without any injuries or damage to the aircraft. The AAIB later discovered in their report that if the emergency procedure had been followed continuously, it would have advised them to shut off the engine to avoid the risk of a fire.
The report stated: “In completing fuel balancing from memory, the pilots did not consider the possibility of a fuel leak, delaying diagnosis of the problem. Once the leak was confirmed, they decided not to fully complete the non-normal checklist, which directed them to shut down the affected engine.
“The subsequent use of thrust reverse on landing increased the potential risk of fire due to disbursement of fuel vapour around hot parts of the engine.”
Ryanair has confirmed that it ‘fully participated’ in the investigation and stated that the report did not suggest any safety recommendations for the airline, according to a statement provided to MyLondon.


You must be logged in to post a comment Login