When fuel emergencies turn deadly

From the “Gimli Glider” that ran out of fuel at 41,000 feet to general aviation pilots who selected empty tanks, a four-decade pattern of aviation accidents show that fuel management errors consistently prove fatal when altitude and time work against recovery efforts.

- HT Correspondent

An analysis of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports suggests that 95% of fuel-related aviation accidents stem from human error rather than mechanical failure.

With pilots repeatedly making critical mistakes in high-stress situations involving fuel controls, tank selectors and cutoff switches.

The margin for error becomes razor-thin during the most demanding phases of flight.

WHAT SEPARATES SURVIVAL FROM CATASTROPHE COMES DOWN TO FACTORS SUCH AS ALTITUDE AND TIME, FACTORS THAT DETERMINE IF PROBLEMS CAN BE DIAGNOSED

What separates survival from catastrophe often comes down to precious seconds and hundreds of feet of altitude factors that determine whether crews have sufficient time to diagnose problems, execute recovery procedures and restart failed systems before impact.

The deadly arithmetic was evident in Air India Flight 171 crash on June 12, where a preliminary investigation report revealed that both the engine fuel cutoff switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” position just one second apart during takeoff.