A Powerless Boeing Falls From The Sky! | Gimli Glider | FULL EPISODE | Mayday: Air Disaster

Overview

On July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 ran out of fuel after a pounds-to-kilograms conversion error left the Boeing 767 with roughly half the fuel it needed. Captain Bob Pearson and First Officer Maurice Quintal glided the powerless aircraft to the former Gimli air base, where a side-slip approach and a collapsed nose gear helped bring it to a stop without serious injuries.

Key takeaways

Flight 143 received 22,300 pounds instead of the 22,300 kilograms required because its fueling team used a pounds-based calculation for an aircraft operating with metric fuel quantities.
The failed digital fuel quantity processor left the cockpit without working fuel gauges, but the fuel shortage resulted from the loading calculation—not a leak or the failed processor itself.
The ram air turbine supplied enough emergency hydraulic power for Pearson and Quintal to control the powerless 767 after both engines stopped.
Pearson’s side-slip used cross-controlled rudder and ailerons to increase drag and shed altitude when a conventional approach or a full circling turn was not viable.
Gimli’s collapsed nose gear made the aircraft harder to steer but also helped it stop sooner, reducing the risk of striking people on or beside the runway.
The investigation identified gaps in metric-conversion training and unclear responsibility for fuel calculations, showing how introducing new aircraft technology without matching procedures can create serious operational risk.

Chapters

0:00 Air Canada Flight 143 Takes Its New Boeing 767 to Edmonton

On July 23, 1983, Flight 143 carried 61 passengers and eight crew from Montreal toward Edmonton.
Captain Bob Pearson had over 15,000 flight hours; First Officer Maurice Quintal had over 7,000, but both had limited experience on the new 767.
Passenger and Air Canada maintenance engineer Rick Dion visited the cockpit as the crew discussed the aircraft’s computerized displays and systems.

4:00 Fuel-Pump Warnings Prompt a Diversion to Winnipeg

Multiple low-pressure warnings appeared on fuel boost pumps, first on the right and then on the left.
The digital fuel gauges were out of service, while the flight management computer still indicated adequate fuel.
Pearson diverted toward Winnipeg, about 120 miles away, and Quintal told cabin crew to prepare for an emergency landing.

8:00 Both Engines Fail and the 767 Deploys Its Ram Air Turbine

The left engine failed first; the right engine soon stopped as Flight 143 ran out of fuel.
At about 26,500 feet, roughly 75 miles from the nearest major airport, the aircraft lost its engine-driven electrical and hydraulic power.
The ram air turbine deployed into the airstream to power essential hydraulic systems, allowing the pilots to retain basic flight control.

11:00 Controllers Recover Flight 143 on Primary Radar

With the transponder unpowered, Flight 143 disappeared from Winnipeg controller Ron Hewitt’s secondary-radar display.
Hewitt’s team switched to less precise primary radar and located the gliding 767 about 65 miles from Winnipeg and 45 miles from Gimli.
Quintal knew the former Gimli air force base from military training, while Pearson initially favored Winnipeg for its emergency services.

15:00 The Crew Abandons Winnipeg and Chooses Gimli

Quintal calculated that the powerless jet would fall short of Winnipeg; the pilots were at about 8,500 feet with the airport still roughly 35 miles away.
Gimli was closer, but had no control tower or emergency equipment, and its runway was the only available landing strip.
The crew prepared passengers to brace as families held children and some passengers wrote messages to loved ones.

21:00 Pearson Uses a Side-Slip to Reach the Gimli Runway

Without hydraulic power, the landing gear was lowered by gravity; the main gear locked, but the lighter nose gear did not.
Pearson was too high and fast for a normal approach, and a full 360-degree turn risked using up the aircraft’s remaining altitude.
Using his glider experience, Pearson cross-controlled the rudder and ailerons in a side-slip to increase drag and lose altitude without adding excessive forward speed.

28:00 The Gimli Glider Lands on a Runway Turned Drag Strip

The Gimli runway had become a drag-racing strip and was occupied by families, campers, and two children riding bicycles.
The 767 touched down at high speed; the nose gear collapsed, two tires burst, and the right engine’s underside scraped the runway.
Pearson used differential braking to avoid the children, and Flight 143 stopped after striking a guardrail down the runway.

35:00 All 69 People Evacuate as Investigators Examine the Fuel System

Smoke filled the cabin, prompting an evacuation; ten people sustained minor injuries, but all 61 passengers survived without serious injury.
Investigators found less than 17 gallons of fuel remaining and no evidence that fuel had leaked from the aircraft.
The digital fuel quantity processor had a faulty solder joint in an inductor coil, explaining the failed gauges but not the inadequate fuel load.

41:00 A Pounds-to-Kilograms Error Explains the Fuel Shortage

Flight 143 needed 22,300 kilograms of fuel, but the fueling calculation supplied 22,300 pounds—roughly half the required amount.
The 767 was Air Canada’s first aircraft with metric fuel gauges, yet ground technicians and pilots had not received training in metric fuel calculations or clear role assignments.
The inquiry called for better conversion training and clearer responsibilities, as well as more spare fuel-gauge processors; the aircraft returned to service two days later and became known as the Gimli Glider.

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