Flight History
On 12 March 2009, flight TRA-2323, operated by Transavia with a Boeing 737-800 (registration PH-HZX), was scheduled to depart Amsterdam (EHAM) for Ponta Delgada (LPPD) on the island of São Miguel, Azores. The flight crew consisted of a commander and a first officer, both qualified for the route and aircraft. The aircraft carried 185 passengers and a cabin crew of 5, totaling 7 crew members.
Weather Conditions
Before departure, the actual and forecast weather for Ponta Delgada included drizzle and fog, with no improvement trend. The commander added 900 kg of extra fuel to the operational flight plan, departing with 14,900 kg of fuel on board. En route, at 13:48 UTC, the flight entered the Santa Maria Oceanic Control Area. At 39°N/20°W, the crew received weather information for Ponta Delgada: horizontal visibility 200 m, vertical visibility 0 m, with fog. Ten minutes later, they requested weather for Santa Maria (LPAZ) and Lajes (LPLA). At Santa Maria, visibility was reduced and worsening; at Lajes, visibility was 10 km with good weather.
Diversion and Emergency Declaration
Because conditions at Ponta Delgada remained below landing minima with no expected improvement, the commander decided to divert to an alternate aerodrome. As Santa Maria had marginal and deteriorating conditions, at 14:48 UTC the commander informed Santa Maria ACC that he wished to divert to Lajes, which was the flight plan alternate. He was authorized to proceed directly to the LM VOR. At 15:04, the Santa Maria controller, who was coordinating with military control at Lajes, informed the flight that landing at Lajes was not permitted unless an emergency was declared. The commander then declared an emergency due to weather conditions, and the flight was allowed to proceed.
Outcome
The flight landed at Lajes Air Base on runway 15 at 15:59 UTC without further issues. No injuries were reported among the 7 crew members and 185 passengers. The aircraft sustained no damage, and no third-party damage occurred. The NDB at Ponta Delgada was out of service due to NOTAM A0659/09, but all other navigation aids were operating normally.