MAYDAY, fuel emergency!! How do pilots deal with it?!

Go to www.audible.com/mentourpilot or text ‘mentourpilot’ to 500 500 🇺🇸 to get one free audiobook and a 30 day free trial.
Why would pilots have to declare a Fuel Emergency and have you ever wondered about how much fuel the aircraft are carrying?
What will happen if an aircraft starts to run out of fuel, mid flight?
In this episode I will explain a bit about this and how we Pilots are trained to deal with problems like this.
The likelihood of a LOW FUEL situation is very remote. That is because we have big margins built into our fuel calculations from the start but also because we plan our flights very carefully and always add extra fuel when we see a reason for it.
We have 3 defined steps that we talk about when we are approaching a low fuel situation. All of them are explained within this video.
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A big thank you to all featured videos in todays episode. See the full, awesome version, using the links below!
Herman402 (Gimli Glider animation)
• Video
Angle of Attack (Great technical Fuel training video)
• Video
Harrison Rowntree (Thunder storm)
• Cumulonimbus Cloud Tim...
MLS515 (Inflight Fuel leak)
• Embraer 145 Fuel Leak ...
John Que (Air Transat 236)
• TSC236
GreatFlyer (ILS approach and Go-around)
• Boeing 737-800 ILS App...

[@aleksandartomic9048]

Ive watched you for years and your channel is definitely one of the factors that have given me the aviation bug i cant see myself in any other career field than that after college ✈️ Thanks for so much detailed insight and information 🙂🙂

[@baileyrathbone4489]

Aleksandar Tom

[@baileyrathbone4489]

Pp

[@thomasmills3934]

Still flying?

[@jsleinonen]

3:05 Dog declares minimum fuel and diverts to the food cup.

[@samuelhulme8347]

Jussi Leinonen is it a Mayday Mayday or a Pan Pan

[@Hellskelett]

@@samuelhulme8347 He gets a Pat Pat Pat because he is soo cute

[@samuelhulme8347]

Hellskellet ha ha ! Yes

[@daveogarf]

@@samuelhulme8347 - I believe it's a [food] Bowl, [food] Bowl...

[@828enigma6]

LOL!!!

[@VICTORdoomm]

does anyone else love seeing his pup on the couch

[@eltebux]

Must of us are subscribed in part because of that haha

[@cellemac3014]

Part of the reason why I got a dog recently 🥲

[@828enigma6]

I do, definitely.

[@Cys62]

Dog lovers do of course...

[@DinutLucescu]

I do

[@srinitaaigaura]

That forward slip manuever on the Gimli glider was outstanding piloting skill - that's a move that comes from being a glider pilot, but getting a 767 to do that, wow.

[@raymondkoonce5827]

Over my 59 years of flying, I have been fortunate enough to never run completely out of fuel. Gotten close a few times, but never run the tanks dry. May you always be as fortunate.

[@dad325]

I'm a fueler at BDL in the states. One afternoon, the weather was awful at JFK, EWR, and LGA. So we started to get a ton of diversions here. I remember one of them. It was a united mesa E175. I opened up the fuel panel and it literally only had 600 lbs of fuel left on the entire plane. At first I thought that was in one tank.. Nope. No idea the burnout ratio for the E175, but that's easily the lowest I've seen one come in here with.

[@RationallySkeptical]

Low fuel checklist: 1. Can you land quickly? If yes, land quickly. If no, proceed to 2. 2. Crash. Thank you for choosing Mentour. We understand you used to have a choice.......

[@tinag7381]

Adorable fluffy co pilot!

[@RaferJeffersonIII]

Mayday mayday. I have to report a near miss with a fluffy lifeform!

[@PRmoustache88]

It's the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

[@capella3368]

You say mayday three times

[@RaferJeffersonIII]

someone IDK I said it twice?

[@KingOfTheWorld462]

@@RaferJeffersonIII i think he means mayday should always be said 3 times

[@kafka27]

I

[@jamesgorman5871]

the Gimli Glider! I live about 45 minutes from Gimli. Although I wasn't born yet when it happened. I cant imagine being at the Drag Strip when it landed.

[@ThinkingSpeck]

Definitely appreciate the safety margins here. No wonder commercial air travel is so safe.

[@dannytoesgaming3386]

I have severe plane anxiety and I gotta say you help me a lot

[@MikePlaysYeet]

Dannytoes GAMING that’s plane wrong

[@andraslibal]

That's the meaning of this channel, I think :)

[@RaferJeffersonIII]

Andras Libal not just that, it’s also for aviation enthusiasts and budding pilots

[@XB10001]

Best thing you can do is to learn more about aeronautics. Learning how to fly (in particular ground school) helped me significantly.

[@dannytoesgaming3386]

MikePlays sweet jesus😀

[@RJSAMCRO]

I am to old to be a pilot and with health issues I couldn't pass the commercial pilot program, so I am thankful for channels like this because it lets me enjoy aviation and learn more and more

[@sharoncassell9358]

I'm an armchairer now too. Used to fly. But petter makes you feel like you're back in the cockpit. Some videos have us on the edge of the seat. Surprises come as in a mystery movie.

[@matthewcalifana488]

SO GLAD the ground crew and the Captain / pilots have thought ahead to keep us safe . GOD Bless You All !!!!!!

[@step2191]

I can't believe they can keep track of it all on every plane they fuel.

[@amitsoni377]

Perhaps the dog interpreted it as low on food. Took more visits than usual this time. 😂

[@rogerstone3068]

Interesting that at about 15:00, talking about the possibility that engines will actually flame out or lose both, that the crew discuss and state the contingency actions - it is EXACTLY the same message Chris Hadfield gives when talking about astronaut training. As you'd expect, I suppose.

[@airspotters3487]

I run a model aircraft website and was never a good flyer until i started listening to you. Now it's OK I was even happy to explain to a nervous passenger why the aircraft was doing what it was doing. She said i should be in the cockpit alas i am too old for that now but love to understand about planes and if something did happen then i might just keep calm and help others .

[@MentourPilot]

That’s great!!

[@zoidberg444]

In Europe given the density of population and the number of airfields around I'm fairly confident there aren't many places you couldn't glide to a safe landing even if you did run out of fuel. Interesting that of all 3 of the most famous gliding incidents Air Transat 236, Air Canada 143 and US Airways 1549 all 3 of those captains were experienced glider pilots. Maybe there is something to be said for flying gliders. I must admit i'd love to have a go myself!

[@1bottlejackdaniels]

check Hapag-Lloyd flight 3378 ...Tuninter flight flight 1153 ...Ethiopian Airlines flight 961 ...Avianca flight 52 ...other examples of low fuel-emergency.

[@wilsjane]

Unless you had experienced a serious loss of fuel or suffered other serious mechanical problems half way across the Atlantic, their is no reason for an aircraft to run out of fuel over Europe. Any pilot who allowed himself to get into that situation should not have been flying in the first place.

[@heyitsjacob1773]

@@wilsjane i think oposite there is lot of airfields and airpots

[@sumatrasumatra9336]

We want Patxi with a captain hat on your channel logo!

[@scottlewisparsons9551]

Hi Mentour, thank you for another excellent video. I have learned a lot about aviation from you. I have been interested in flying all my life. Back when I was about nine or ten around 1960, my parents and I flew in a Viscount from Wellington to Auckland in New Zealand, about ten minutes from landing a big storm hit Auckland and we returned to Wellington. I was very concerned about the fuel situation, however, my father told me that we had enough fuel on board to return to where we started and more. I stopped worrying and enjoyed the flight back and having to do it all again the next day! Great fun in those days as everything was a lot simpler! I knew a Viscount pilot who flew Hurricanes in the second world war and had his engine shot to bits over France at about 20000 feet and glided about 70 miles back to England. Enough of the boring stories, thanks again.

[@MrRd98ac]

Glad to see you did your walk-around today Mentour (aka. green pillow is back!). Love the videos, keep them up sir.

[@sharoncassell9358]

It had to be washed.

[@andrewyoung3299]

Same thing happened with a United Airlines flight from the US to Sydney Airport in Australia. Was interesting to hear that roads were closed in case the plane went down

[@ThatRomyKate]

Reminds me of a documentary I watched about Avianca flight 52 that crashed because they didn’t tell anyone they were running out of fuel. Such a shame and so easily avoidable if they’d communicated with ATC. Would love you to do a video on it if you haven’t already!

[@sdc5683]

You are a true professional and that is what is expected and appreciated every time a person boards your plane. You take your profession seriously and that means safety.Thank you.

[@KingOfTheWorld462]

You brought up Gimli Glider and now I am thinking of watching again the full series of ACI.

[@MentourPilot]

Do it!

[@KingOfTheWorld462]

@@MentourPilot hahaha and start with Crash of the Century😂 that's the episode got me hooked up to the series

[@MichaelMiller-rg6or]

Good luck finding a source to watch it on. They are becoming harder to find.

[@ronnrayy5449]

😆 after hearing - "what is the definition of low fuel?" I was like well the definition must be: an event in which the fuel is low lol

[@mytwocents7464]

I really look forward to your opinion regarding the second 737 MAX crash in five months.

[@hart-of-gold]

Fuel Emergencies happen fairly often in Australia because of the long distances between the major airports. I work managing my company's freight and had to explain to a customer that their urgent item from Sydney to Perth wouldn't be delivered on time because the southwest was under a severe weather warning and no flights were allowed past Kalgoorlie because of the weather maybe closing all airports in the Perth region at once.

[@lo2088]

I’ve been on a flight from Lisbon to Madeira and the weather was an issue. As we approached madeira we could divert to porto santo which is 40 kms away fm LPMA or return to Lisbon which was what happened. Later last year I flew from London to madeira and we were on hold for 35 minutes as the winds were time to time over the limits and there was a chance to land. Unfortunately the pilot decided to divert to porto santo to wait for better conditions and refuel we then managed to land.

[@tedex8100]

I love your professionalism. Bravo,Mentour.

[@step2191]

I didn't hear a word Petter said I was too busy watching the doggy.

[@Giuliani95]

Thank you for your knowledge sir!

[@pilroberts6185]

Good work, give your maintenance crew a rise! Not only did they efficiently and quickly replace that out starboard pillow bulb, they firmly and securely latched its safety belt. Well done.

[@adamkowalczyk3474]

Great job Petter, thanks!

[@B2BWide]

Wow, starboard side pillow is back! It's great!

[@MrBitterman75]

Awesome video, as always. Thanks!!!

[@chriholt]

Very informative - thanks!

[@Dana_Danarosana]

Very informative... love all your videos. I thought you might've mentioned Avianca 52 as an example of failed communication relating to a fuel emergency... the crash in 1990 when crew & ATC both failed miserably at proper communication during an extreme fuel emergency... resulting in the 707 crashing in northern Long Island while attempting to get to JFK after a myriad of bizarrely long holding patterns and very poor weather..

[@Dana_Danarosana]

Holy crap I'm psychic!! (or is it pshcho?...) About 45 mins. after I made the initial comment, the Mayday: Air Disaster episode on this flight came on TV... spooky...

[@janinso]

I'm an extremely nervous flyer but your videos always fascinate me and put my mind at ease, thank you so much.

[@rolanddunk5054]

I just love the professionalism,with the dog👏👏👏.Roly 🇬🇧.

[@louishumphreys5451]

Very clear explanation. Great stuff.

[@justabigbaby]

As always another fascinating informative enjoyable experience.

[@robbinsleshira2329]

You really are well versed with planes operation... You are a blessing to some of us who had no idea of aeroplanes...

[@godisholy7067]

Co-Pilot is blissfully unconcerned 😂😂😘😘

[@aerocap]

He is so cute that now I come as well to see him :-)

[@godisholy7067]

Good then I’m not the only one 🥰🥰🥰

[@erictaylor5462]

I was with my dad once coming into Concord (Buchanan) in a Cessna 177. We had just been cleared to land IFR when a Lear jet called with "minimum fuel". Our clearance was canceled and the Lear was cleared to land. It was foggy so we never actually saw the other aircraft. I didn't think it was right that just because the Lear was a jet he got to cut us in line, but Dad explained what "minimum fuel" meant to a jet.

[@sharoncassell9358]

That happened to me in a Cessna 150 and then it happened to a jet when I had a mayday engine failure. Made an emergency landing. Jet was angry. It cost him 7000 euro in fuel. I had fuel still.

[@erictaylor5462]

@@sharoncassell9358 If he's flying a jet he can afford it. They ain't cheap to run. Of course these days, neither is a Cessna 150.

[@lowfreak]

Hello Mentour. Your positivity is infectious. Love your vids!!

[@prasakmanitou4925]

Nice video, good explanation, and dog made it even better.

[@khurshed701]

Your videos are very helpful. Do you have any video about how pilot know when to start preparing aircraft for decent and landing?

[@olha_]

Hi Mentour, please make some videos about the types of approaches (precision, non-precision, ILS, VOR, LNAV/VNAV, etc.) and about the built-in stairs at the front door on the B737! Thanks for your great work :)

[@andreabell9194]

Thumbs up for the dog!! Especially precious in this video.

[@christinebagala8656]

I was on a flight from New Orleans to Denver a few years ago and while we were in our final descent the attendants came over the speaker and said that we were having to land in CO Springs instead of Denver because there was traffic in DEN and they only had enough fuel to directly land and they were being asked to circle. It was really confusing.

[@whelanvidswhelanvids1500]

As someone who is currently working abroad in aus to save for flight training all the way up to the 737 I can't thank you enough for giving your knowledge in such an understandable way.. these videos sure will help before heading into full time training.thank you !🇮🇪

[@tradjazzer]

thanks for a very interesting video.

[@Repented008]

I always wanted to know what that white smoke was that comes from the fuselage of turboprop airliners while taxiing.🤔 Used to see it all the time on the ramp during and after the q300 start up and I would always forget to ask any of the crew what it was. Generally comes from under the tail of the aircraft. Cheers, Mentour. Great work as usual.😀

[@canadianpepsifan]

loving the new intro much easier on the ears :) on another note love these videos and your content

[@patricklowe1039]

Petter THANK YOU as usual. Just an AVGeek but you answered so many recent questions I've had. 40 years ago fuel estimation did'nt appear to be an issue bcuz airlines filled the tanks (please correct me if I'm wrong!). Please let me know how airports and pilots handle bingo fuel simultaneously when low fuel called. Based on fuel load, soul count, aircraft type? May seem like ignorant question, I'm curious about priorities. Stay well n enjoy ALL your content. Haven't flown a Dreamliner yet but your video confirmed I have to. Boeing is my preferred go to, flown many of the others but want a suite on an A380 b4 they retire. 727 and 707 is what I cut my teeth on.

[@joesterling4299]

I just spent an hour learning about Robert Piché and Air Transat Flight 236. This bit of history escaped me completely. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[@MagnificentHakan]

A new mentour video... The best birthday present for me

[@Mr8it]

Yet another absolutely fantastic video Petter! Looking a bit tired though mate, take it easy we will all survive if you take a break :)

[@pollyannapositive9192]

Just like I said I am a quick learner. I can see things while you are explaining the procedures. I like to be able to use your instructions when time comes. Iam also the kind of person who does not panic in time of emergency.

[@margaritagedminta8739]

I am an nervous flyer and taking my first transatlantic flight from Ireland to NYC (JKF) in two weeks. Your videos help me to relax and rationalise during the flight. Thank you!!

[@Adz_Win]

I love your videos but I really admire how you executed the word ‘ approximately’ Instead is using ‘hopefully’ . You are a wise man !!

[@dihydrogenmonoxid1337]

Mayday Mayday. I gotta learn for school but I ran out of fuel. Thanks for your good videos.👍

[@KD0LRG]

Glad to see you used my idea!! Thanks

[@professor5641]

HOW CUTE IS THAT PUPPY 😍😍😍

[@christopherjohnson3520]

Hello Commander! Thinking ahead & readyi to handle difficult situations is very important! Excellent video that I can relate to In my occupation! CJ

[@wilsjane]

All pilots should need to pass exams in basic engineering and simple common sense. The case where one fuel tank ran low and then dry over the Atlantic is a typical example. The reasons that the pilots transferred fuel from other tanks, without stopping to think that their must be a leak or serious engine fault defies all belief. In my opinion, failure to even notice the drop in fuel level prior to instrument warning was criminal negligence. I have a lot of connections with a European airline where the head pilot insists that all crews regularly fly without autopilot to maintain their flying skills. She (yes she, lol) is a lovely and approachable person, but she will not tolerate stupidity and incompetence. Being an ex military flight instructor, pilots treat her with great respect. Her role in the RN (UK navy), was training pilots to land on aircraft carriers. I wonder if you have already worked out the airline that I am referring to.? Clue, they have a better safety record than Qantas and do not feature in any airline crash videos. LOL.

[@trevorgambell5492]

Trevor G I enjoy your videos and thank you for making them available. In this video about low fuel and fuel emergency situations, you mention the Air Transat incident of an Airbus A330. The problem began when an engine was changed out with a different, but compatible engine, and a fuel connector pipe was not available. The mechanics decided to re-use the one from the changed engine, though it was not the correct one. This pipe came in contact with the engine cowling, and vibration over 10 days of flying created a hole in the pipe that caused fuel to be sprayed out and into the air. The pilots knew they were losing fuel from one wing tank, and used transfer pumps to pump in fuel from other tanks, but never suspected a fuel leak. This flight actually left from Montreal for Lisbon, not from the USA as mentioned in the video.

[@spi71]

The dog is ready to go too, he now knows all the procedures.

[@Warriorking.1963]

Well, it was bound to happen... it took quite a while, but that is would happen one day was as inevitable as night following day. What was it I hear you ask. Your dog finally upstaged you in your video. It has came very close on numerous occasions, but in this one, you definitely were in the right hand seat from early on. Great video! I've just subscribed and thoroughly enjoying your channel. I really enjoy flying, but know very little about what's going on or how things work, and your channel is like a goldmine of information.

[@balajisharathkumar9753]

wow great, you have clearly explained about gimely crash land due to no fuel i have not even expected you will talk about the crash. have a great time where ever you are :)

[@mauriciomarianocarneiro]

Happy Paxti today! :)

[@tatooweeny]

I was trying my best to pay attention, but your dog is too cute to ignore.

[@PlainD]

I love your dog.

[@RajeevSharma-lz4ys]

Quite informative. 👍🌨⚡️

[@anthonypope8429]

good video love the dog very cute

[@intuitivme]

Very interesting!!!!

[@eetuhannola]

Your dog is so awesome.

[@bencroll3860]

Great video for anyone who is nervous about flying. These guys are pros and have thought of everything. Keep it up Mentour!

[@rayg9069]

Pilot Mentour probably does more to ease nervous passengers worries than hours with therapists. His videos should be prescribed on the NHS. For a lot of people with flying phobias it's the not knowing what's happening that causes the phobia. He explains things so clearly and calmly it's a joy.

[@bencroll3860]

Ray G you’re so right. The American health board says 1 in 4 people have a fear of flight. Mentour does do a great job and I’ve shared his videos with several people I know who suffer from this fear.

[@mdturnerinoz]

Once coming back to SYD from SFO my QANTAS flight had to land in Brisbane because the margin to get to SYD was unacceptable; just an hour or so delay. BTW The pilot came on the plane's audio and jokingly asked if anyone on board had a VISA card with $10,000 available on it! :0))

[@someone321]

Martin Turner lol now that’s a pilot with a sense of humor 😂

[@dannydaw59]

It must get harder to estimate how much fuel is needed the longer the flight is.

[@gjsthreefoursevinoneone8945]

The pilot might have been joking, but the cold reality is that two decades ago, smaller airlines, like regionals, use to have this issue when landing in an alternate field.

[@6yjjk]

There are documented instances of shady Middle Eastern airlines having a whip-round to pay the bill before the flight could leave... I think I remember seeing a kind of corporate credit card in the cockpit of a 757, one of the UK charter operators about 25 years ago... don't know how that works, exactly.

[@ecclestonsangel]

Wonder what he would have done if someone had said yes, lol.....

[@ThePanred]

Flew back from panama to portland and had to stop in cancun due to this. Not a bad stop :)

[@petergranger7890]

@mentour. Another fantastic video described in your amazing calm manner. Love your dog as well. Please explain if possible - 2nd new Boeing 737 max down! What is going wrong???

[@GerhardReinig]

💖 I Love your Dog 💖

[@EveryTipeOfVideo]

Awesome video!! I hope I never get into this situation.

[@alnett22]

the most upsetting accident to me in my years learning about Aviation is low fuel to completely running out of fuel was Avianca 052 to heading to Kennedy, there was a chain of events that caused the accident communication was one. 2 shouldn't be placed on a holding pattern, although they had a missed approach. Mentor I understand you don't like to speak about accidents of the past, what do you feel the crew should have declared an emergency instead of requesting priority?

[@MentourPilot]

Correct! I should have used that one. It was actually closer to my example.

[@alnett22]

@@MentourPilot yes I thought you would mention it but great video keep up the great work.

[@Hubjeep]

Avianca 052 crashed 1/4 mile from my house back in 1990.

[@ianstobie]

Avianca 052 is discussed at length in Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers". It was an important accident because it led to a lot of research into flight crew behaviour, and changes in pilot training. The takeaway is that pilots MUST learn to be assertive and clear in their communications. The research was into why they are sometimes not, and what can be done in training to overcome it.

[@martintheiss743]

@@Hubjeep how horrible. how was it like for you?

[@Cadcare]

I'm here for the dog on the sofa and the aviation stuff is a bonus. ;-)

[@ritvikvaishnav3472]

Love the videos, keep them up petter! P.s. good doggie

[@blake9908]

Glad to see you got your green light replaced, you wouldn't want a mid living room collision!

[@ashleymalamute]

I had to call a fuel emergency on a flight from Brisbane to Hong Kong in a Qantas A330... while driving to the airport. I made it, caught my flight and fueled up when I got back to Brisbane.

[@laredobenjamin7438]

Air Transat 236, not 296. From Toronto to Lisbon in August 2001. Well, I'm quibbling, let's resume the video ! ;-)

[@Elisevetter]

Doggo cameos are always a win. Great video as well~

[@OliLego]

Cool video

[@h64972i]

*I am from India I just love your chanel*

[@gregeconomeier1476]

Another Great video. It makes me wonder if the number of "minumum fuel" declarations have increased due to cost savings pressure at some airlines.

[@MrRexquando]

None that I am aware of have been a fuel emergency based on intentional savings.

[@bettyjane6684]

I think I speak for everyone when I say you are tops!

[@katsbreez]

So I've been binge watching your content (out of order) for several days now and I finally figured out the 1st word you say before "Mentour" at the beginning of your older vids. It goes by so fast I just couldn't recognize it. I was also unsure of where you were from which I can often guess from a person's accent, but not this time. Finally came across a video where you stated where you're from. Then guessed that you might be saying "welcome" in your native language. Googled it... and I now think you're saying: Välkommen. Is this correct?🤗

[@stephenbritton9297]

Did Avianca Flight 52 change the way low fuel situations are handled? (For those not familiar, FL52 was a 707 bound from Bogota Columbia to KJFK in NYC USA - due to bad weather all up the coast, the plane held and held and held, then went missed because they didn't have the runway at minimums, and then flamed out and crashed on final for the second attempt. There was crossed communication between them and ATC on the severity of their fuel problem.)

[@tonyhuynh11]

Lol I love the dog. The show is not the same without it.

[@prankmonkey650]

Your doggie is so cute.

[@tsmcraedy4564]

love the dogs opinion on this aircraft commentary

[@dpm-jt8rj]

Decades ago, I remember hearing the term "Bingo on Fuel," which was supposed to "mean minimum fuel, we have to decide now to either divert or wait and hope to get a landing slot" at their holding airport. I have not heard that phrase for a while now.

[@jerrymiller276]

I think "bingo fuel" is a military term, but I'm sure hundreds of people will correct me if I'm wrong.

[@dpm-jt8rj]

@@jerrymiller276 You might be right. A lot of the US civilian pilot population used to be or maybe still are US Military (reserve or guard) and those guys have sayings like that stuck in their heads, for good reason. If a phrase is in the vocabulary and second nature, then it becomes instinctive. "Train, train, and train" and "Aviate, Navigate, and Communicate" are the two most used and practiced phrases in aviation.