A Ryanair flight, which departed from Pisa, in Italy, bound for Glasgow, Scotland, ended up being diverted and making an emergency landing in Manchester, last Friday, October 3rd. The situation occurred in the middle of Storm Amy, which was affecting the north of the United Kingdom with intense winds and adverse conditions.
According to the Notícias ao Minuto portal, the plane faced a series of unforeseen events that would eventually lead to the emergency decision. The aircraft, which departed late due to a general strike and the invasion of the runway by protesters in Pisa, later found itself in difficulties during its landing attempts in Scotland. The reason turned out to be fuel shortages, later confirmed by the airline.
Storm and delays affected the flight
According to the same source, the plane tried to land several times in Prestwick, without success, due to the gusts of wind caused by the storm. One of the passengers told the Ayr Advertiser newspaper that, after a first failed attempt, the crew said they would try again before considering a diversion to another airport.
“Everything was fine until we started to descend. The plane circled several times before we tried to land, but ended up climbing almost immediately”, reported the passenger, adding that “people were calm until the descent” and that “there were those who noticed that the plane was having difficulties”.
Last laps in the air and minimum reservations
According to the same source, the aircraft attempted to land in Edinburgh, but weather conditions continued to prevent the approach. “It was as bad as in Prestwick. There was a lot of turbulence”, described the same passenger, adding that “the sound of the engines seemed increasingly tense”.
When it arrived in Manchester, the plane had already issued the “mayday fuel” alert, used when the available fuel is insufficient to meet the mandatory safety margin. According to , there were only around five to six minutes of fuel left at the time of landing.
Ongoing investigations
After landing, relief was immediate among the passengers. “We realized how bad things were after seeing images of the landing in Manchester with almost no fuel,” said one of the travelers.
A Ryanair spokesperson confirmed that the case has been reported “to the relevant authorities” and that an investigation is ongoing. Images from Flightradar24 show the several turns made by the aircraft before managing to land safely at the English airport.
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