Incident Overview
On June 8, 2022, at 06:06 UTC, a Boeing 787-9 aircraft with registration SP-LSG departed from HTZA (Julius Nyerere International Airport, Dar es Salaam) en route to LHBP (Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport). The aircraft had been dispatched with a Minimum Equipment List (MEL) item 32-61-01, which required that the flight be conducted with the landing gear extended.
Sequence of Events
The flight proceeded normally until 07:25 UTC, when the crew reported to the operations department that based on observed fuel consumption, they would be unable to complete the flight to the intended destination. The pilots calculated that they would likely not be able to depart Africa at all. They noted that flight level 280 (FL280) was reached only after 50 minutes of flight, whereas the operational plan had anticipated reaching that altitude 16 minutes after takeoff. Additionally, the crew reported consuming 4 tons more fuel than planned.
Decision and Diversion
In coordination with the operations department, the crew decided to make an intermediate landing at HAAB (Addis Ababa Bole International Airport). The aircraft landed there safely.
Cause and Contributing Factors
The cause of the incident was an error: the operational plan did not include additional fuel required for flight with the landing gear extended. No contributing factors were identified by the investigation.
Preventive Actions
The investigating entity, LOT Aircraft Maintenance Services, took several preventive actions:
- The incident was recorded in the SMS database and classified according to LOT Polish Airlines' criteria. It will be included in Safety Performance Indicators (SPI) monitored under the Safety Management Manual.
- The incident was discussed at a "Weekly Safety Review" meeting involving Ground Operations, Flight Operations, and Aircraft Performance departments.
- MEL 32-61-01 was immediately amended to include "Landing Gear Down Performance," which ensures that flight routing calculations account for the extended landing gear.