‘Mayday Mayday’: Qantas pilots are forced to declare an airborne emergency after nearly running out of fuel
- Qantas Flight 933 suffered a mid-air emergency in Perth airspace on Monday
- The pilots had to declare “Mayday” after the plane almost ran out of fuel
- The Boeing 737 arrived with fuel reserves but was put on hold due to delays
- The flight safety authorities have now launched an investigation into the incident
Authorities have launched an investigation after Qantas pilots were forced to declare an airborne emergency after they nearly ran out of fuel due to runway delays at a Western Australian airport.
Qantas Flight 933 from Brisbane to Perth was several hundred kilometers from its destination on Monday when pilots waiting in line to land reported a “Mayday” call to air traffic control.
The Boeing 737 flew into Perth airspace on extra fuel for 20 minutes but was ordered to maintain a holding pattern due to an influx of incoming planes, The Age reports.
Since the wait was 16 minutes, the air traffic controllers told the pilots that they had to declare a mayday in order to get a priority landing.
A Qantas flight was forced to declare an air emergency as it approached Perth Airport on Monday
The plane was several hundred kilometers east of Perth when it ran into trouble. Pictured: trajectory of Qantas Flight 933
The plane eventually landed safely under a “fuel mayday on descent” — an emergency situation pilots rarely experience.
By law, planes are required to land with certain fuel reserves intact, which might have been injured if the pilots had not issued the mayday.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is now investigating the “fuel shortage incident” that took place 335km east of the city above Wave Rock.
“During the descent, due to the amount of fuel on board, the crew declared an emergency and landed in Perth. The plane landed with reserves intact,” it said.
“A final report will be published after the investigation is completed.
Since the wait was 16 minutes, the air traffic controllers told the pilots that they had to declare a mayday in order to get a priority landing. Pictured: A Qantas Boeing 737
“However, should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify the relevant parties so that appropriate safety measures can be taken.”
Qantas chief pilot Dick Tobiano said the pilots loaded the plane in accordance with the airline’s and Australia’s aviation safety requirements.
“The plane landed with 40 minutes of fuel in the tank, which is well above minimum requirements,” he said in a statement.
“Our pilots followed the correct procedures and there were no safety issues with the flight.”
D Australia has reached out to Qantas for further comment.