In this case, the aircraft will try to do it overland (not water) or away from populated areas, as it is the equivalent of dumping thousands of liters of petrol onto an urban area. The FAA mentions explicitly that any dumping can't occur under 2,000 feet.

While the idea of a "fuel dump" sounds alarming, it is an emergency-only procedure that is strictly regulated by the FAA and other international aviation bodies. Pilots only jettison fuel if they must make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff and the aircraft is above its "maximum landing weight." Ideally, this is done at high altitudes (usually above 5,000 to 6,000 feet) and over unpopulated areas or large bodies of water to allow the fuel to atomize and evaporate before it can reach the ground. However, in extreme life-threatening emergencies where a plane cannot reach a designated dump zone, a pilot may be forced to dump fuel at lower altitudes, which can occasionally lead to fuel vapor or liquid reaching residential areas—a notable example being the 2020 Delta flight over Los Angeles. In 2026, modern aircraft are designed to be more "overweight-landing" capable, and air traffic controllers are trained to guide pilots to the safest possible locations for this rare procedure to minimize environmental and public health risks.