Do planes dump fuel in the ocean?

The good news is that pilots are supposed to dump fuel at a safe height above the ground and away from other aircraft, and in addition, over as remote an area as possible. In the case of Heathrow, for example, most fuel dumps have occurred over the sea.



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Area and flight level Specific areas have been designated where fuel dumping is allowed to avoid damage or harm where the fuel may drop; generally speaking, this is above seas or unpopulated areas above land.

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Airlines find that fuel dumping can actually be cheaper than not dumping in certain circumstances. But it's not something pilots do on a routine basis. We spoke with Alison Duquette, spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), who assured us that it doesn't happen very often.

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If the aircraft tried to land without dumping the fuel first, it is considered an overweight landing attempt and could place immense stress on the airframe. It could also increase the risk of fire and fuel leaking onto the tarmac.

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Since most twin jet airliners can meet these requirements, most aircraft of this type such as the Boeing 737 (all models), the DC-9/MD80/Boeing 717, the A320 family and various regional jet (RJ) aircraft do not have fuel dump systems installed.

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Pilots can and sometimes do smoke in the cockpits of business jets. These can be as large as airliners (see BBJ), but usually aren't. Even when a country and/or airline ban smoking in the flight deck, some pilots will ignore the ban and still light up.

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The reason to dump fuel is simple: to drop weight. Any given aircraft has a Maximum Landing Weight (MLW) at which it can land, and in most cases that weight is lower than its Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW).

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The Gimli Glider incident occurred 40 years ago when an Air Canada Boeing 767 ran out of fuel at 41,000 feet, but the pilots successfully glided the plane to a former airfield turned race track for a safe landing.

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Can a large modern jet airliner plunge intact underwater from flight? No. Large airliners are not desgned for this and are not even strong enough to make a landing on water in less than perfect conditions.

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Therefore, Boeing's general recommendation is to jettison fuel above 5,000 to 6,000 feet whenever possible, although there is no restriction on jettisoning at lower altitudes if considered necessary by the flight crew.

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Can a wide body airliner land with a full fuel tank? Yes! But it is safer to land an aircraft below its published MLW.

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While most people think driving a car is better for the environment than flying in an airplane, that's not necessarily true because airplane engines are getting much more efficient.

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Fuel disposal through dumping is a measure reserved for situations where no alternatives remain feasible. Unless a flight has a severe problem or a medical emergency that requires the plane to land immediately, the pilots would rather keep flying in circles to burn off fuel rather than dump it.

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But extending the flaps also increases drag and slows the plane down, thereby reducing the control over the aircraft that you want. So to counteract that, pilots will throttle up to maintain speed and control.

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Answer: The smoke is the result of a wheel which is not turning in flight making contact with a stationary runway. The wheel must accelerate to the landing speed very quickly. During that acceleration, there is a short time when the tire is skidding, which produces the smoke.

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