EPISODE · Sep 3, 2026 · 33 MIN
65: Gimli Glider
from Causality · host The Engineered Network
In 1983 a newly introduced 767 ran out of fuel mid-flight and the pilots were able to land completely dead-stick. Whilst 0.8kg/L and 1.77lbs/L represent the same density, when the wrong one was used in a refuelling calculation they came up well short. Why they were forced to manually calculate their fuel at all, was not nearly as controversial as the pilots decision to fly. We look at what went wrong and what went right in the incident of the Gimli Glider. With John Chidgey. Investigation Report: Final Report of the Board on Inquiry (PDF) Commentary Articles: The Gimli Glider by Damn Interesting The Gimli Glider by AOPA AC143 Airplane Crash General Information: Gimli Glider Jet Fuel Boeing 767 Forward vs Side Slips Civil aircraft fleet. Data by Country Metric vs Imperial Support Causality on Patreon Episode Gold Producers: 'r', Steven Bridle, Kellen Frodelius-Fujimoto and Steve Branam. Episode Silver Producers: Mitch Biegler, Shane O'Neill, Jared Roman, Katharina Will, Chad Juehring, Ian Gallagher and Jamie Russell.
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In 1983 a newly introduced 767 ran out of fuel mid-flight and the pilots were able to land completely dead-stick. Whilst 0.8kg/L and 1.77lbs/L represent the same density, when the wrong one was used in a refuelling calculation they came up well short. Why they were forced to manually calculate their fuel at all, was not nearly as controversial as the pilots decision to fly. We look at what went wrong and what went right in the incident of the Gimli Glider.
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65: Gimli Glider
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