Engine on AerArann aircraft shut down mid-air

ONE of two engines on an Aer Arann aircraft flying from Luton to Galway two years ago shut down in mid-flight after it ran out of fuel, in an incident which mirrored last week’s fatal crash involving a similar aircraft near Sicily.

An official report has revealed that cockpit readings indicated both fuel tanks on the Aer Arann aircraft were empty at the time of the incident.

The Aer Arann pilot told investigators that he was unsure how much fuel was left on the ATR 42-300 turboprop plane due to faulty fuel gauge readings when one of the engines failed 40 miles west of Dublin at a height of 18,000 feet.