They were also requested for confirmation of the emergency condition.
In confirming this emergency, TUI 1153 repeatedly asked, three times (
the controller had not perfectly understood the question, made in English), the distance to the airport.
The controller finally replied that the current distance from the TVOR-DME of Palermo “PRS” (located on the airport) was 48 nautical miles (NM).
The aircraft, with two engines shut down, was at an altitude of approximately 15.000 ft.
In view of the distance from Palermo in relation to the altitude, the crew of the TUI 1153 asked if there was any other terrain closer than Palermo on which they could land (“Is there any terrain nearest than Palermo Sir, please?
We lose both engines and we are only 15.000 ft”), pointing out that they had lost both engines and were only at 15.000 ft of altitude.
The same request was repeated once more (“Any nearest airport where we can land?”)
because the controller could not understand its content.
assed: