Viva Air Flight VH8332 today

[CharlieOneSix]

Earlier today on FR24 I was watching Viva Air Flight VH8332 in Colombia, an A320-251N from Cali (CLO) to Riohacha (RCH). It departed CLO at 1534z and entered the hold near RCH at approximately 1704z. It left the hold at about 1730z without making an approach and diverted to Medellin (MDE). At some point it squawked 7700 and went into the hold at MDE at about 1818z. Once again it didn't make an approach and at about 1832z, still squawking 7700, it diverted once more, this time to Monteria (MTR) where it landed at 1911z.

So a sector that took 1hr 30mins turned into a marathon 3hrs 37 mins. I haven't checked any weathers and I freely admit that being of the rotary persuasion I'm not up to speed on airline methods, especially in South America, but even without me knowing what his planned alternate was, it would seem to me a wise Captain took far more than 'book' fuel!

[Boac]

Most probably a 'tanking' sector. No-one would in normal circumstances take that much extra fuel.

[TheGreenAnger]

Most probably a 'tanking' sector. No-one would in normal circumstances take that much extra fuel.

Given that they diverted twice, I guess they would be grateful that it was a tanking sector?

For once we might really need the METARS at the relevant airfields.

[Boac]

Don't forget the 'decision process' will be different where you may have an 'excess' of fuel.

[TheGreenAnger]

Don't forget the 'decision process' will be different where you may have an 'excess' of fuel.

Yes I guess the relevant weights, runway condition, LDA and TORA etc. would come into that decision process. I suppose you can have too much fuel even when you aren't on fire.

[Boac]

Yes I guess the relevant weights, runway condition, LDA and TORA etc. would come into that decision process.

No, those are considerations for tanking. I am talking about decisions en-route.

[CharlieOneSix]

.....For once we might really need the METARS at the relevant airfields.

Your wish........

Riohacha
SKRH 171600Z 03008KT 320V050 9999 SCT015TCU 30/25 Q1010 RMK VCSH/N A2983
SKRH 171700Z 11010KT 1000 TSRA BKN012CB 27/25 Q1009 RMK A2982
SKRH 171800Z 09012KT 3000 TSRA SCT012CB OVC020 24/24 Q1009 RMK CB/E A2981

Medellin
SKRG 171700Z 16010KT 9999 VCSH SCT018TCU SCT090 21/12 Q1024 TEMPO FM1830 DZ SCT015CB RMK TCU VCSH/SE/NW A3025
SKRG 171800Z 36006KT 9999 VCSH SCT017TCU SCT023 20/13 Q1023 NOSIG RMK TCU/S/N VCSH/S A3022
SKRG 171814Z 23011G22KT 200V270 9999 3000S -TSRA SCT015CB BKN080 17/15 Q1023 BECMG FM1900 DZ SCT015CB RMK CB/S/W A3021
SKRG 171836Z 22012G24KT 190V260 2000 TSRAGS BKN012CB BKN070 13/12 Q1023 BECMG FM1900 5000 RA SCT015CB
SKRG 171900Z 32010KT 4000 -TSRA BKN015CB BKN070 13/12 Q1023 RETSRAGS BECMG FM1915 9999 NSW SCT015CB RMK A3021

Monteria
SKMR 171800Z 23004KT 190V260 9999 BKN022 31/24 Q1009 RMK A2980
SKMR 171900Z 30007KT 9999 SCT022 BKN120 31/25 Q1007 RMK A2976
SKMR 172000Z 31010KT 9999 FEW022 BKN120 29/24 Q1007 RMK A2975

[TheGreenAnger]

Thank you C16. Possibly thunderstorm activity at their intended destinations.

[tango15]

As one who is, unfortunately, all too familiar with the vagaries of flying in Colombia, albeit as an observer, one of the major problems is that a lot of the airports do not have fuel. There is a town deep in the south of Colombia called Mitú. From Wiki: The Vaupés River serves as a connecting link between Mitú and nearby hamlets on the riverbanks, but there are no roads connecting the town to the rest of the country. Accessible only by aircraft, Mitú is the most isolated capital in Colombia. This is an airfield with a 6,100 ft asphalt runway.

So, most responsible pilots take plenty of fuel, especially if the TAF is looking a bit iffy...

[talmacapt]

Tango15.

Welcome back.

Your postings are, to me, always interesting to read.

Wish that could be said for some of the more frequent posters, some of whom seem to have the internet equivalent of verbal diarrhoea.

[PHXPhlyer]

Tango15.

Welcome back.

Same from me!
Your "radio silence" was concerning.

PP

[tango15]

Tango15.

Welcome back.

Same from me!
Your "radio silence" was concerning.

PP

Thanks both. I had been commissioned to write a few books, with very strict submission times, so it was head down, and much burning of the midnight oil

[Rwy in Sight]

Will those books be in similar areas with the previous one?

[tango15]

No. These concern the histories of Lloyd Aereo Boliviano, the DH/HS/BAE/Hawker Beechcraft 125 and just recently, Cubana. Basically history, plus mostly previously unheard-of stories surrounding them, eg The Cubana IL-62 which was almost shot down over Brazil, the two 125s that Saddam stole from Kuwait and painted in Iraqi Airways colours, and the 'meat run' from Trinidad (Bolivia) up to La Paz in the days of C-46s and B-17s - that sort of thing.

[ribrash]

Tango15.

Welcome back.

Your postings are, to me, always interesting to read.

Wish that could be said for some of the more frequent posters, some of whom seem to have the internet equivalent of verbal diarrhoea.

+5

[TheGreenAnger]

Viva A320neo low-fuel probe indicates less than 300kg in tanks on landing

Colombian investigators have disclosed that an Airbus A320neo landed with less than 300kg of fuel on board following two diversions on a service from Cali.

The aircraft, operated by Viva Air, had departed Cali for the northern city of Riohacha on 17 October.

This sector is some 530nm in length and typically covered in 1h 20min.

But owing to poor weather at the destination, the aircraft diverted instead to Medellin, which lies some 350nm from Riohacha, meaning the jet travelled some two-thirds of the way back to Cali.

Upon arriving in Medellin terminal airspace, the crew heard over the radio that other aircraft were executing missed approaches to the airport as a result of the meteorological conditions, according to French investigation authority BEA, citing Colombian counterparts.

After carrying out “a couple of circuits in holding”, says BEA, the crew decided to divert again, this time to Monteria’s Los Garzones airport about 150nm north.

While en route to Los Garzones, the crew declared a fuel emergency. The aircraft landed nearly 30min after the emergency call.

BEA says preliminary information from the Colombian inquiry indicates the A320neo landed with 282kg of fuel, with 236kg remaining once the engines were shut down.

It was airborne for some 3h 20min following departure from Cali.

The aircraft (HK-5378) is a CFM International Leap-1A-powered jet, delivered to the carrier new just a little over a year ago, in September 2021.

Colombian investigators have described the incident as “serious”. The airline has stressed that flight safety is a priority.

https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/viv ... on-landing

The Aviation Herald has a more fulsome take...

A VivaColombia Airbus A320-200N, registration HK-5378 performing flight VH-8332 from Cali to Riohacha (Colombia), was descending towards Riohacha Airport when the crew aborted the approach at about FL180 and entered a hold for about 30 minutes. The aircraft subsequently climbed to FL370 and was enroute to divert to Medellin when the crew again needed to abort the approach to Medellin at about 15,000 feet. The aircraft climbed back to FL210, the crew declared emergency, and diverted to Monteira (Colombia) where the aircraft finally landed on runway 32 about 2:15 hours after aborting the approach to Riohacha and about 3:20 hours after departure from Cali. The aircraft had about 100kg in its left fuel tank and about 110 kg of fuel in its right hand tank, the totalizer showed 200kg of fuel remaining.

The airline reported the aircraft needed to abort the approach to Riohacha due to bad weather and diverted to Medellin (Rio Negro). While the aircraft was approaching Medellin weather also impacted the aircraft and made a landing impossible. The crew therefore diverted to Monteira where the aircraft landed safely. The aircraft had more than 180 minutes of fuel available for the 80 minutes flight.

On Oct 27th 2022 Colombia's DIACC reported: "During the arrival to MDE terminal area, the flight crew listened to other aircraft on the frequency reporting missed approaches at MDE due to meteorological conditions; after a couple of circuits in holding, the flight crew decided to proceed to Los Garzones Airport (MTR) in Monteria (SKMR) as alternate. While enroute to MTR, at approximately 18:40 UTC, the flight crew declared MAYDAY FUEL EMERGENCY - SQUAWKING 7700. The flight landed at approximately 19:07 UTC in MTR and it taxied to the assigned parking position without further incident. According to information retrieved from FDA, the flight landed with 282 kg of fuel and it had 236 kg remaining when engines were shut-down." The occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated by Colombia's DIACC.

https://avherald.com/h?article=4ffdb8d6

[ribrash]

What colour were the pilots socks ?

[Boac]

Black

[llondel]

Surely the point of carrying contingency fuel is for this sort of situation, where it all goes pear-shaped. Arriving with that much left on a routine flight would be cause for concern, but unless the recommendation is to carry even more, there's not much else they could do.

[TheGreenAnger]

Surely the point of carrying contingency fuel is for this sort of situation, where it all goes pear-shaped. Arriving with that much left on a routine flight would be cause for concern, but unless the recommendation is to carry even more, there's not much else they could do.

I still wonder why they decided to divert to Medellin given that Monteira (along with other possible airports) was closer in the first instance. I guess the changing weather conditions up north were part of their logic, or perhaps the "let's get closer to homeitis prevailed" and then the weather down south went downhill as well.

I guess we will never know.