Although the handling of the glide and landing were exemplary, there is a bit more to it that that. The crew's initial response transferring fuel from the working engine to the leaking one, relying on memory rather than the fuel imbalance checklist, didn't just make the situation worse... It turned a problem into an emergency. Had they not opened the crossfeed, only one engine would have suffered fuel exhaustion, and they could have continued to a single engine landing.
As it happens, a number of years later an old friend of mine was invited to ride the jump seat in an Airbus 320 Sim, while another old friend did some practice. (He was a training Captain who loved nothing more than getting into the sim in his off time and practicing emergencies.) One of the emergencies simulated was system failure that resulted in loss of the ABS. As the sim shuddered to a halt on "landing" our friend in the jumpseat said "that's very realistic". When he was asked how he knew, he revealed that he and his family had been on that Air Transat flight. They, along with a fair number of the passengers, are part of a study on the long term affects of PTSD.
1) Why did Capt Piché do a 360 and then a series of S-turns to "dissipate excess altitude"?
Isn't altitude in that situation his most precious possession? Wouldn't giving it up lessen his chances of making Lajes airport?
2) You often refer to the importance of checklists in dealing with emergencies. I was surprised to read in Wikipedia (citing the investigation) "Rather than referring to the appropriate checklists, the crew actioned procedures from memory, and this resulted in the cross-feeding of fuel into an already leaking engine." (Wikipedia "Air Transat Flight 236")
You mentioned this briefly, but I would have expected you to highlight this as one of the important lessons of this near-disaster.
1) You’re absolutely right that altitude is usually your most valuable asset in a glide. The key word here is usually. When Capt. Piché realized they had made Lajes with altitude to spare, the problem shifted from “Can we reach the runway?” to “Can we arrive at the runway at the right energy state?”
A glider that’s too low is in trouble. A glider that’s too high can still maneuver. The 360° and S-turns were deliberate ways of converting excess altitude into distance and drag while keeping the runway assured. It’s a classic glider technique and, in that moment, a much better problem to have than being short of the field.
2) I completely agree with your observation. One of the less celebrated lessons from Flight 236 is that even highly experienced crews can be vulnerable when an abnormal situation evolves rapidly. The investigation did find that memory actions and the subsequent fuel cross-feed contributed to fuel being transferred toward the leaking side.
In many ways, Flight 236 reinforces a lesson I often emphasize: checklists exist because emergencies are poor environments for memory. Training and experience are vital, but disciplined use of procedures provides a critical safeguard against perfectly understandable human errors.
What makes the Flight 236 story remarkable is that it contains both sides of aviation safety: mistakes were made, but exceptional airmanship, crew coordination, and decision-making ultimately saved 306 lives. The best accident investigations rarely reveal heroes or mistakes alone—they usually reveal both at the same time. ✈️
Ah, yes … the Airbus A330-200 “Whisper Jet” … job well done by the pilot … BZ. I flew many a P-3 mission out of NAF Lajes while deployed there (& later did a tour stationed/based there).
Although the handling of the glide and landing were exemplary, there is a bit more to it that that. The crew's initial response transferring fuel from the working engine to the leaking one, relying on memory rather than the fuel imbalance checklist, didn't just make the situation worse... It turned a problem into an emergency. Had they not opened the crossfeed, only one engine would have suffered fuel exhaustion, and they could have continued to a single engine landing.
As it happens, a number of years later an old friend of mine was invited to ride the jump seat in an Airbus 320 Sim, while another old friend did some practice. (He was a training Captain who loved nothing more than getting into the sim in his off time and practicing emergencies.) One of the emergencies simulated was system failure that resulted in loss of the ABS. As the sim shuddered to a halt on "landing" our friend in the jumpseat said "that's very realistic". When he was asked how he knew, he revealed that he and his family had been on that Air Transat flight. They, along with a fair number of the passengers, are part of a study on the long term affects of PTSD.
Threat of death and autobiographical memory: a study of passengers from Flight AT236 - PMC https://share.google/FtZjPX3PhNKT7b3Ny
Two questions:
1) Why did Capt Piché do a 360 and then a series of S-turns to "dissipate excess altitude"?
Isn't altitude in that situation his most precious possession? Wouldn't giving it up lessen his chances of making Lajes airport?
2) You often refer to the importance of checklists in dealing with emergencies. I was surprised to read in Wikipedia (citing the investigation) "Rather than referring to the appropriate checklists, the crew actioned procedures from memory, and this resulted in the cross-feeding of fuel into an already leaking engine." (Wikipedia "Air Transat Flight 236")
You mentioned this briefly, but I would have expected you to highlight this as one of the important lessons of this near-disaster.
Great questions, Dwight.
1) You’re absolutely right that altitude is usually your most valuable asset in a glide. The key word here is usually. When Capt. Piché realized they had made Lajes with altitude to spare, the problem shifted from “Can we reach the runway?” to “Can we arrive at the runway at the right energy state?”
A glider that’s too low is in trouble. A glider that’s too high can still maneuver. The 360° and S-turns were deliberate ways of converting excess altitude into distance and drag while keeping the runway assured. It’s a classic glider technique and, in that moment, a much better problem to have than being short of the field.
2) I completely agree with your observation. One of the less celebrated lessons from Flight 236 is that even highly experienced crews can be vulnerable when an abnormal situation evolves rapidly. The investigation did find that memory actions and the subsequent fuel cross-feed contributed to fuel being transferred toward the leaking side.
In many ways, Flight 236 reinforces a lesson I often emphasize: checklists exist because emergencies are poor environments for memory. Training and experience are vital, but disciplined use of procedures provides a critical safeguard against perfectly understandable human errors.
What makes the Flight 236 story remarkable is that it contains both sides of aviation safety: mistakes were made, but exceptional airmanship, crew coordination, and decision-making ultimately saved 306 lives. The best accident investigations rarely reveal heroes or mistakes alone—they usually reveal both at the same time. ✈️
Wow this is scary and impressive all at the same time. I'm definitely grateful for top notch pilot training and it's something we should all support!
WOW 🔥🔥
Such a rare miracle
What a story! I had no idea so thank you for sharing it.
Ah, yes … the Airbus A330-200 “Whisper Jet” … job well done by the pilot … BZ. I flew many a P-3 mission out of NAF Lajes while deployed there (& later did a tour stationed/based there).