What happened
On September 26, 2022, an Airbus A321-251NX, registration G-UZMF, operated by EasyJet, was performing a scheduled international passenger flight from Bristol, United Kingdom, to Gran Canaria, Spain. During the approach to Gran Canaria, the aircraft encountered deteriorating weather conditions. Due to the unavailability of the primary runway (03L) and its associated ILS, the crew had to utilize runway 03R, which required a visual lateral transition.
As the aircraft descended, air traffic control instructed the crew to hold at the ENETA waypoint. The flight time for the approach and descent was extended by approximately 18 minutes. During the approach, the crew encountered insufficient visibility, leading the pilot to execute a missed approach at 19:29 UTC. Following the missed approach, the crew declared a fuel emergency and requested a diversion to Fuerteventura Airport.
The aircraft landed safely at Fuerteventura with 915 kg of fuel remaining, which was 86 kg below the required final reserve fuel minimum of 1,001 kg.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight planning, the crew's management of fuel, and the response of air traffic services. Investigators examined the NOTAMs available during flight dispatch, which indicated that the ILS for runway 03L was non-operational and several taxiways were closed for construction. The investigation also reviewed the communication between the aircraft and the Canarias Area Control Center (ACC), as well as the coordination between different ATC sectors.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was inadequate flight planning, as the crew failed to properly account for the NOTAM regarding the unavailable runway aids and the potential for extended flight time due to the weather.
- Air traffic controllers failed to follow established procedures following the declaration of a fuel emergency. Specifically, the ACC did not acknowledge the emergency communication or request necessary information such as remaining endurance or persons on board.
- A lack of coordination between ATC sectors meant that Fuerteventura Tower was unaware of the fuel emergency. This lack of information led the Fuerteventura controller to authorize a takeoff on runway 01 while the diverted aircraft was only 6.5 NM away on final approach.
- The crew did not sufficiently adjust the fuel load beyond the regulatory minimum to account for the high probability of delays caused by the single-runway operation and deteriorating weather.