Flying on Empty | Air Transat Flight 236

Air Transat Flight 236 was a transatlantic flight bound for Lisbon, Portugal, from Toronto, Canada, that lost all engine power while flying over the Atlantic Ocean on August 24, 2001.

The Airbus A330 ran out of fuel because of a fuel leak caused by improper maintenance. Captain Robert Piché, 48, an experienced glider pilot, and First Officer Dirk DeJager, 28, glided the plane to a successful emergency landing in the Azores, saving all 306 people (293 passengers and 13 crew) on board.

Most of the passengers on the flight were Canadians visiting Europe or Portuguese expatriates returning to visit family in Portugal.

This was also the longest passenger aircraft glide without engines, gliding for nearly 75 miles or 121 kilometres.

Following this unusual aviation accident, this aircraft was nicknamed the "Azores Glider".