Fuel Shortage Concerns Lead to Diversion of Lockheed L-1011 Tristar

Casualties unknown • Diverting to London Stansted Airport, GB

A Lockheed L-10-11 Tristar diverted to London Stansted after the crew became concerned about fuel levels during a delay at Gatwick.

What happened

On 12 September 1998, a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, registration C-GTSB, operating a public transport flight from Glasgow to London Gatwick, was forced to divert to London Stansted Airport. After departing Glasgow, the aircraft arrived in the Gatwick area and was placed in the 'Willo' holding pattern at Flight Level 110.

During the hold, the crew communicated their concerns regarding potential delays. When informed that their expected approach time at Gatwick was delayed by approximately 28 minutes, the commander decided to divert to Stansted to avoid landing with insufficient fuel. During the diversion, the crew requested priority landing due to their low fuel state. Air traffic controllers responded by providing vectors for an expedited approach, which included a runway change at Stansted from Runway 23 to Runway 05. Despite these efforts to accelerate the arrival, the aircraft landed at Stansted with 7,000 lb of fuel, which matched the airline's minimum landing fuel requirement.

The investigation

The investigation examined the aircraft's fuel planning, the timeline of the diversion, and the communications between the crew and air traffic control. It was established that the aircraft departed Glasgow with sufficient fuel to meet all regulatory and company requirements, including contingency and alternate fuel. The investigation also reviewed the impact of the controller's decision to change the arrival runway at Stansted, which caused disruption to other aircraft and required the arrival sequence at Stansted to be placed on standby.

Findings

  • The aircraft landed with the minimum company fuel reserve of 7,000 lb.
  • The commander's decision to divert was based on an optimistic calculation of the diversion flight time, which proved to be longer than the 18 minutes originally planned.
  • While the crew requested priority due to fuel concerns, they did not declare a formal emergency (Mayday or Pan-Pan).
  • The controller's decision to change the landing runway at Stansted to accommodate the diversion caused operational disruption to other traffic.

Probable cause

The aircraft landed with only minimum required fuel because the commander's estimated time for the diversion was overly optimistic, and the decision to divert was made too late to account for the actual flight time required.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1998-09-12 L1011 accident near Diverting to London Stansted Airport, GB?

A Lockheed L-10-11 Tristar diverted to London Stansted after the crew became concerned about fuel levels during a delay at Gatwick.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1998-09-12 involved a L1011, registration C-GTSB, at Diverting to London Stansted Airport, GB.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The aircraft landed with only minimum required fuel because the commander's estimated time for the diversion was overly optimistic, and the decision to divert was made too late to account for the actual flight time required.

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