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Ryanair 737 Declares Mayday After ATC Breakdown and Weather Diversions, Landing at Manchester With 363kg of Fuel

An AAIB report says a Ryanair Boeing 737-800 conducted three windshear escape maneuvers and was repeatedly diverted during Storm Amy before landing at Manchester with 363 kilograms of fuel. The investigation also identified a breakdown in air traffic control communications that left the aircraft circling during the serious incident.

Discovered 2026-09-24T03:29:32.515190-07:00 | 2026-09-24T03:29:32.515190-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The incident links severe-weather decision-making, repeated windshear encounters and fuel reserves: the 737 landed with 363 kilograms of fuel after multiple diversions.
The AAIB identified a breakdown in ATC communications that contributed to the aircraft continuing to circle while critically low on fuel, highlighting coordination risks during disrupted operations.
The findings are relevant to operators, airports and controllers reviewing diversion procedures, fuel planning and communication protocols in adverse weather.

Reported By

Aviation A2Z theaviationhub.co.uk aero.de airliners.de The Independent FlightGlobal