dailynewsnblog
Earlier this month, a South African Airways domestic flight was forced to divert away from its destination of Cape Town due to severe weather. This flight had limited fuel onboard, and its diversion to George was planned to have enough fuel, when weather conditions also affected the diversion airport, the Airbus A320 was then diverted again to Port Elizabeth, where, by the time the plane landed, just a total of 420kg (925 pounds) of fuel was left in its tanks.
South African was flying its Airbus A320-200 from 
Johannesburg Airport (JNB) to Cape Town International Airport (CPT) as flight SA313 on Monday, May 11, a relatively routine service that takes just over two hours. As the flight was preparing to land in Cape Town, a weather system arrived, and a wind shear warning was declared. This resulted in the flight aborting its landing and being put into a holding pattern.
South African Airways Flight Diverted Away From Cape Town Due To Severe Weather
The flight waited in a holding pattern above Cape Town for weather conditions to improve, when the crew identified there was just 75 minutes of remaining fuel left in the tank, a diversion was decided upon, and the airline decided to head for George (GRZ), some 430 kilometers (267 miles) along the southern coast.
As the plane approached George, the flight crew was then advised that George had come under a severe storm system and that landing would not be possible. This resulted in the crew being forced again to pick another diversion airport. The flight then headed towards Port Elizabeth Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (PLZ).
On approach to Port Elizabeth, the storm system was making its way west, and Port Elizabeth then came under a severe storm watch, and the airline was warned of the conditions.
The Airbus A320 Landed Safely In Port Elizabeth
As the A320 started its descent into Port Elizabeth, the weather conditions were still unfavourable, but the flight was able to land in the southern city, some 65 minutes after being diverted from Cape Town, 10 minutes shy of the 75 minutes it had remaining when opting to divert away from Cape Town.
On inspection of the aircraft once at the gate, it was identified that the plane had just 340 kilograms (749 pounds) of fuel remaining in the left tank, 30 kilograms (66 pounds) in the centre tank, and 50 kilograms (110 pounds) in the right tank, for a total of 420kg (925 pounds) collectively.
While the fuel levels were a cause for concern, the airline followed all relevant and required policies and procedures for the flight, and reported the incident and undertook investigation protocols as reported by the Aviation Herald.
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The widebody, with more than 280 people onboard, nearly used the entire runway upon touching down.
Aircraft Involved: ZS-SZH
The plane involved in the flight, a 14-year-old A320 bearing registration ZS-SZH (serial number 5053), is similar to that pictured above. The plane is one of 14 A320’s in the South African fleet, according to ch-aviation. These aircraft are the backbone of the airline’s domestic and short-haul international operations, alongside the remaining fleet, which includes the A330-300, A340-300, and Boeing 737-800.
This particular aircraft, ZS-SZH, took its first test flight back on February 24, 2012, under French Airbus registration F-WWBO before being delivered brand new to China Eastern Airlines on March 28, 2013, and bestowed Chinese registration B-6875. The plane operated for the SkyTeam carrier up until December 2023, when it was stored.
|
Aircraft Registration |
ZS-SZH |
|---|---|
|
Serial Number (MSN) |
5053 |
|
Type |
Airbus A320-232 |
|
Hex Code |
00A51A |
|
Engines |
Two x IAE V2527-A5 |
|
Total Capacity |
138 total (24 business and 114 economy) |
The plane was then acquired by South African Airways, and delivered on July 23, 2024, and has since then been an integral part of the SA fleet. According to aircraft data, the plane is configured to carry a total of 138 passengers across two classes, with 24 seats in business class and 114 in economy.
In relation to the incident involving this aircraft being diverted away from Cape Town, there was a risk of running out of fuel and facing a complete loss of engine thrust. The pilots took appropriate action to divert when they realized they had a limited amount of fuel remaining above Cape Town, and followed diversion procedures and ultimately were able to touch down safely, and no passengers or crew were injured.
