What happened
On November 5, 2023, at 11:40 UTC, a commercial flight, identified as AR1471, was operating in the cruise phase of its journey from San Salvador de Jujuy (Gdor. Guzmán International Airport) toward Buenos Aires (Aeroparque Jorge Newbery). During the flight, a malfunction occurred within the fuel transfer system. This mechanical failure led to the loss of operation in one of the aircraft's engines.
Following the failure, the flight crew executed standard emergency procedures, which included the controlled shutdown of the affected engine. The crew declared an emergency and diverted the aircraft to an alternate airport. The Boeing 737-7BD, registration LV-GOO, landed safely at Córdoba (Ingeniero Ambrosio Taravella International Airport) without further incident. There were no injuries reported among the 132 passengers or the crew.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the technical failure of the fuel transfer process during the cruise phase of the flight. The JST examined the sequence of events leading to the engine shutdown and the subsequent emergency management by the crew. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft's systems failed to properly transfer fuel, necessitating the engine shutdown to maintain safe flight parameters.