Tunisian ATR-72 plane crash on 6 August caused by incorrect fuel gauge
{{date|September  7, 2005}}

Investigation of the crash into sea of a Tunisian airplane ATR-72 near Sicily on August 6, 2005 has arrived at an astonishing conclusion.  The wrong type of fuel gauge was installed in the aircraft. The gauge was designed for another type of aircraft, the much smaller ATR-42.

[[Image:ATR-72.jpg||thumb|right|140px|The [[w:ATR-72|ATR-72]], a 74-passenger plane.]]
<!--[[Image:ATR-42.jpg||thumb|right|140px|A smaller [[w:ATR-42|ATR-42]], designed to carry 40-50 passengers.]]-->
The level indicated by the gauge was wrong, causing the pilot to think that the plane needed less fuel that it did.  Then, when fueling at the airport, less fuel than was needed was loaded in the airport of [[w:Bari|Bari]]. While in flight the airplane ran out of fuel, although the gauge still showed fuel available.

After this conclusion by the Italian National Security Flight Agency ([http://www.ansv.it ANSV]) the Italian National Agency for Civil Aviation ([http://www.enac-italia.it/ ENAC]) has suspended Tunisian airline Tuninter's authorization to operate commercial flights in Italy.  A warning was also send to European Authority about what has happened asking that all fuel gauges installed on ATR-42 amd ATR-72 be checked.

==Related News==
* [[Plane ditches into sea near Sicily]], '''Wikinews''', August 6, 2005

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2005-09-07_1197338.html
|title=Fuel gauge caused ATR-72 crash
|author=
|pub=Ansa
|date=September 7, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/italia/news/2005-09-07_1195109.html
|title=Ansv: controllare strumenti su Atr
|author=
|pub=Ansa
|date=September 7, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/italia/news/2005-09-07_1193926.html
|title=Atr 72: Enac sospende Tuninter
|author=
|pub=Ansa
|date=September 7, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.flightinternational.com/Articles/2005/09/07/Navigation/177/201425/Crashed+Tuninter+ATR+had+wrong+fuel+gauge+installed.html
|title=Crashed Tuninter ATR had wrong fuel gauge installed
|author=David Kaminski-Morrow/London
|pub=Flight International
|date=September 7, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apeurope_story.asp?category=1103&slug=Italy%20Plane%20Investigation
|title=Italians suspend Tunisian airline
|author=
|pub=Seattle pi
|date=September 7, 2005}} <!-- note that this source wronly report the date of the crash -->
*{{source|url=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L07592551.htm
|title=Italy suspends Tuninter flying rights after crash
|author=
|pub=Reuters
|date=September 7, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.enac-italia.it/comunicati/comsta_21.asp?selpa1=526
|title=ENAC SOSPENDE LA TUNINTER E DISPONE VERIFICA IMMEDIATA SU FLOTTA ATR IN ITALIA
|author=
|pub=ENAC
|date=September 7, 2005}} (Press release by ENAC, in Italian)

*News from Italian radio and television
{{publish}}

NOTAM: attention Roman Catholic Italian AP Mechanics: CROSSED SEVENs (-7-) Look very similar to number Fours (4) as in ATR-72 vs. ATR-42.

{{PD-Article}}
{{archive}}
[[Category:Disasters and accidents]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Africa]]
[[Category:Tunisia]]
[[Category:Tuninter Flight 1153]]
[[Category:Sicily]]

[[ja:チュニインター機ATR-72墜落事故 燃料計取り付けミスが原因]]
Investigation of the crash into sea of a Tunisian airplane ATR-72 near Sicily on August 6, 2005 has arrived at an astonishing conclusion.  The wrong type of fuel gauge was installed in the aircraft. The gauge was designed for another type of aircraft, the much smaller ATR-42.

ATR-72, a 74-passenger plane.

The level indicated by the gauge was wrong, causing the pilot to think that the plane needed less fuel that it did.  Then, when fueling at the airport, less fuel than was needed was loaded in the airport of Bari. While in flight the airplane ran out of fuel, although the gauge still showed fuel available.

After this conclusion by the Italian National Security Flight Agency ( ANSV) the Italian National Agency for Civil Aviation ( ENAC) has suspended Tunisian airline Tuninter's authorization to operate commercial flights in Italy.  A warning was also send to European Authority about what has happened asking that all fuel gauges installed on ATR-42 amd ATR-72 be checked.

*News from Italian radio and television


NOTAM: attention Roman Catholic Italian AP Mechanics: CROSSED SEVENs (-7-) Look very similar to number Fours (4) as in ATR-72 vs. ATR-42.
Disasters and accidents Europe Africa Tunisia Tuninter Flight 1153 Sicily