Q1: Why didn’t the fuel gauges work inside the cockpit?
The 767’s Fuel Quantity Indication System (FQIS) computer suffered an intermittent defect caused by an open soldering point. Maintenance personnel disabled the processor channel, which left the cockpit fuel gauges completely unpowered. Air Canada allowed the jet to fly under minimum equipment exemptions, provided the ground staff manually checked the fuel volume with dripsticks.
Q2: What is a Ram Air Turbine (RAT) and how did it save the plane?
The Ram Air Turbine is an emergency wind-driven turbine tucked inside the fuselage. When both engines fail and all electrical generation vanishes, the RAT automatically deploys into the airstream outside the hull. The rushing air turns its blades, powering a small hydraulic pump that gives the flight crew enough control over elevators, rudder, and ailerons to steer the plane.
Q3: Did the pilots face disciplinary action after the landing?
Air Canada initially suspended and reprimanded both pilots and multiple maintenance technicians. However, the subsequent official inquiry showed the crew was operating inside an organizational system riddled with procedural voids and confusing metric training. Pearson and Quintal were soon reinstated, honored within the aviation community, and recognized as skilled aviators whose handling prevented a mass casualty event.
Q4: How did the fuel math error actually happen?
Aviation jet fuel weighs different amounts depending on the system used. One liter of jet fuel weighs 0.803 kilograms or 1.77 pounds. The crew multiplied the remaining liters of fuel by 1.77, mistakenly assuming the product was in kilograms. This meant they had barely 45% of the fuel they thought they had in the tanks.
