11 Aug 20269:54 reconstruction28.1K views

Transavia 737 Faces Severe Windshear, Low Fuel and Multiple Go-Arounds

Timeline

25 July 2015 — Transavia HV5068 was operating toward Rotterdam from Girona.

Approach — Severe weather and windshear affected operations in the area, with multiple aircraft going around.

The flight entered holding while weather conditions remained difficult.

Approach attempt — The crew encountered severe windshear and initiated another go-around.

The crew declared a low-fuel emergency and reported that the flaps were no longer available for a normal landing.

The aircraft returned to Amsterdam Schiphol and landed safely.

The approach deteriorated through repeated hazards

Transavia Flight HV5068 encountered severe weather during an approach in the Netherlands after multiple go-arounds and holding. The crew reported severe windshear, difficulty controlling the aircraft and decreasing fuel. The flight eventually returned toward Amsterdam Schiphol, where the crew completed an emergency landing. The incident is notable because several problems accumulated during the same approach sequence: windshear, low fuel, flap problems and the need to land without normal flap configuration.

The weather had already disrupted the airport

Contemporary accounts describe numerous go-arounds at Schiphol during the period, with windshear affecting aircraft on approach. HV5068 was therefore operating in a wider environment of unstable approaches rather than encountering an isolated weather event.

Fuel became a separate emergency

After multiple attempts and holding, the crew reported that fuel was becoming critical. The combination of low fuel and another approach requirement reduced the time available for troubleshooting or waiting for better conditions.

The landing was completed with additional configuration limits

The crew reported that the flaps were not working and that a flapless landing would be required. The available recording and contemporary accounts show the crew communicating the constraints while ATC arranged the return and landing. No crash occurred, but the event illustrates how several moderate problems can combine into a high-workload emergency.

The crew's transmission captured the severity of the situation: “we have less than minimal fuel”

Accident Facts

Aircraft: Transavia HV5068
Date: 25 July 2015
Location: Amsterdam Schiphol
Category: Emergency landing

Sources

AirLive contemporary report: https://airlive.net/emergency/2015/07/26/video-emergency-landing-with-atc-of/
PPRuNe contemporary discussion containing the reported ATC transcript: https://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/565180-transavia-hv5068-tra3k-emergency-landing.html
ASN Aviation Safety Database: https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/178071

Audio from the original air traffic control recording, sourced from public recordings and released investigation records. The reconstruction, animation and written account are our own.