[Bommer]

And again I ask, why on earth would a Pan Atlantic flight have an empty fuel tank?!?

The real question to ask is why doesn't this happen more often?

[phoenix0468]

Well, according to the NTSB, the conditions have to be just right, and the moon has to be waxing into full, and magnetic north must be perfectly polarized, blah blah blah blah blah. What a bunch of crap.

[UCANSEE2]

IIRC, it is because they do not need the extra fuel. It just adds more weight.

Fuel is pumped between the tanks to make sure equal weight in the wing tanks, from the center tank, after one leg of the flight, for instance.

I.E. They don't fill up all tanks every time they land.

I know. I flew private planes and you fill er up when you land.

I am going on what information I got from the investigation.