A wrongly fitted fuel gauge caused a Tuninter ATR 72 to ditch in the Mediterranean, killing 16 of 39 aboard in Tuninter's first fatal accident.
Key Facts
- Date
- 6 August 2005
- Aircraft type
- ATR 72
- People on board
- 39
- Deaths
- 16
- Distance from Palermo
- 18 miles
- Cause
- ATR 42 fuel indicators installed in ATR 72
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Ground technicians had installed fuel quantity indicators designed for the smaller ATR 42 into the ATR 72 operated by Tuninter. These mismatched instruments displayed inaccurate fuel readings, leading the crew to believe sufficient fuel remained when the aircraft was in fact critically low.
On 6 August 2005, Tuninter Flight 1153, en route from Bari, Italy, to Djerba-Zarzis, Tunisia, suffered complete fuel exhaustion and ditched into the Mediterranean Sea approximately 18 miles from Palermo. Sixteen of the 39 people on board lost their lives in the accident.
The accident marked Tuninter's first fatal crash in its 14-year history and prompted regulatory scrutiny of aircraft maintenance practices involving part substitution. It underscored the critical importance of ensuring that aircraft components, including instruments, match the specific airframe they are installed in.