Gimli Glider

The Gimli Glider was the nickname given to Air Canada Flight 143, a Boeing 767 that made an emergency landing at a former airbase in Gimli, Manitoba, on July 23, 1983.

The Gimli Glider was the nickname given to Air Canada Flight 143, a Boeing 767 that made an emergency landing at a former airbase in Gimli, Manitoba, on July 23, 1983. The aircraft ran out of fuel because of a metric conversion error during refuelling, but all 69 passengers and crew survived.

Background

Air Canada Flight 143 was a domestic passenger flight operating with a Boeing 767-200. The aircraft was relatively new, and the flight is remembered for the unusual circumstances that led to the fuel shortage.

The fuel exhaustion incident

A combination of refuelling miscalculation and metric-imperial confusion left the aircraft with insufficient fuel. The plane ran out of fuel in flight, resulting in a complete loss of engine power.

The Gimli landing

Using gliding skills and careful handling, the crew diverted to the former RCAF base at Gimli. The aircraft landed safely on a runway that was no longer in regular aviation use.

Aftermath and significance

The aircraft was repaired at Gimli, flown to Winnipeg, and returned to service before later retirement. The incident became a well-known aviation case study in crew resourcefulness, safety procedures, and unit-conversion errors.