Air Transat crew glides powerless jet to landing in Azores
All 306 people on board survived after an Airbus A330 ran out of fuel due to a leak over the Atlantic.
An Air Transat passenger jet carrying 306 people successfully performed an emergency glide landing at Lajes Air Base in the Azores on August 24, 2001, according to the Times of India. The Airbus A330-243, which was travelling from Toronto to Lisbon, lost all engine power after a fuel leak caused the aircraft to run out of fuel over the Atlantic Ocean.
The aircraft departed Toronto Pearson International Airport on August 23, 2001, with 293 passengers and 13 crew members. Captain Robert Piché and First Officer Dirk DeJager managed the aircraft for approximately 19 minutes without engine power before reaching the runway.
The right engine stopped at 6.13 UTC, and the left engine shut down at 6.26 UTC. During the descent, the aircraft's emergency ram air turbine deployed to provide electrical and hydraulic power for essential flight controls, though normal braking and flap systems were unavailable.
All 306 people survived the landing, though 16 passengers and two crew members sustained injuries. Two passengers were reported as seriously injured but not in a life-threatening condition.
An investigation by Portugal's Aviation Accidents Prevention and Investigation Department and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada attributed the leak to a maintenance error. Incompatible parts installed during a previous engine replacement caused a hydraulic line to rub against a fuel line, creating a crack.
Air Transat accepted responsibility for the maintenance failure and was fined C$250,000 by Canadian authorities in September 2001.