Incident Overview
On December 13, 2013, an Embraer 175 aircraft landed at Larnaca Airport (LCLK) with 1240 kg of fuel remaining in its tanks. According to the operator's flight manual, the required minimum fuel reserve was 1600 kg. The flight crew reported that at the departure airport, they were pressured to accept all passenger baggage, which would have resulted in an aircraft overweight condition by approximately 1000 kg. The captain refused to comply and loaded only baggage that kept the takeoff mass within the maximum allowed limit.
Investigation Details
The occurrence was classified as an incident. The operator conducted the investigation, and no investigation team was appointed. No safety recommendations were issued. The investigation concluded on August 19, 2016.
Cause
The probable cause was determined to be an incorrectly calculated flight plan provided to the crew. The aircraft operator was in the process of reorganizing and implementing a new computer flight planning system. Due to this transition, the exact reason for the miscalculation could not be established.
Preventive Measures
Following the incident, the following preventive measures were implemented:
- The event was entered into the Safety Management System (SMS) database and remains under observation. As of the report date, no recurrence had occurred.
- The operator completed the implementation of the new computer flight planning system.
- The incident was discussed during periodic pilot training, with emphasis on the obligation to report any fuel irregularities.
- The operator established protective barriers, including crew checklists, consultation procedures between crew and operations, and availability of technical support.
No safety recommendations were made by the commission.