A Ryanair flight landed at Manchester with just 363kg of fuel remaining after encountering windshear three times during Storm Amy in October 2025.
Investigators from the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found an earlier request to divert to Manchester should have been accepted, but was refused following a breakdown in communication at the airport.
The Boeing 737-8AS touched down with substantially less than its required final reserve fuel after abandoning two approaches to Glasgow/Prestwick and a third to Edinburgh.
During the earlier windshear escape manoeuvres, the aircraft’s two CFM International CFM56 engines had consumed fuel at a combined rate of around 120kg per minute at go-around power. At that rate, the 363kg remaining on touchdown was equivalent to little more than three minutes’ fuel.
Flight FR3418, operated by Malta Air aircraft 9H-QBD (c/n 61579), had departed Pisa for Prestwick on October 3, 2025, carrying 171 passengers and six crew. Nobody was injured and the aircraft was undamaged.
Storm Amy was bringing strong winds across Scotland and northern England and the crew had taken additional fuel in anticipation of possible disruption. Having reviewed the forecast, the pilots chose Manchester rather than Glasgow as their preferred alternate because of its more favourable weather.
The first problem arose during the approach to Prestwick’s Runway 20. As the 737 descended through around 264ft, its airspeed began to decay and a windshear warning was triggered. The captain carried out the prescribed escape manoeuvre before transitioning into a go-around.
The crew entered a hold and waited to see whether another aircraft of the same type could land. After that aircraft touched down – despite reporting a 25kt loss of airspeed on short final – the pilots elected to make a second attempt.
A second windshear warning sounded at around 50ft and another escape manoeuvre was performed. The crew had already advised ATC that another missed approach would mean diverting directly to Manchester.
But Manchester refused the request.
The AAIB found the diversion should have been accepted. Manchester Airport’s procedures stated that diversions could be accommodated when sufficient ground capacity was available and that the decision rested with Airfield Control, rather than an airline’s handling agent.
However, Airfield Control subsequently told ATC that the handling agent was unable to accept the aircraft. Investigators could not establish how that decision had been reached, describing what happened as a breakdown in communication within the airport. Manchester had already accepted 19 diversions because of Storm Amy that day.
With Glasgow also reporting windshear, the crew instead diverted to Edinburgh.
There, the 737 encountered windshear for a third time, triggering another warning at 745ft during its approach to Runway 24. The aircraft escaped the conditions and went around with 2,164kg of fuel remaining.
The pilots were now faced with a worsening fuel situation and the possibility that another Edinburgh approach could result in a fourth windshear encounter.
They calculated that diverting to Manchester would leave between 500kg and 700kg of fuel on arrival. When Manchester was entered into the flight management computer, however, the predicted landing quantity fell to just 300kg.
The commander declared a fuel emergency, telling ATC: “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY FUEL”, and requested an immediate diversion to Manchester.
During the flight south, low-fuel warnings subsequently appeared for both main tanks. The 737 eventually touched down at Manchester at 1951hrs with 363kg remaining, against a final reserve requirement of approximately 1,100kg. Shortly before the engines were shut down at the gate, the recorded quantity had dropped to 240kg.
The AAIB said it was unlikely the aircraft would have had sufficient fuel for another go-around at Manchester. It also noted that a closer airport such as Newcastle had not been considered once the aircraft was heading south, adding that Manchester had been the crew’s preferred alternate from the beginning and that this may have influenced their decision-making.
Investigators nevertheless found the commander considered Manchester the safest option. Remaining at Edinburgh could have preserved final reserve fuel if the next landing succeeded, but the crew feared another windshear warning could leave them with insufficient fuel to go around again.
Following the serious incident, Manchester Airport reiterated that diversion requests should be accepted whenever it has capacity to receive an aircraft, and that the decision does not rest with the handling agent.
