Further to CMs F3 case, it had been the norm for Vulcans to reduce AUW to below 140k. As there was no fuel jettison system the only option was to burn it off.
After the Vulcan crash at Cottesmore the lost control due to a bomb bay fire while burning off fuel Hawker Siddley said the aircraft had always been clear to !and at any takeoff weight subject to heavy landing checks.
I suspect the brains trust had forgotty this in an attempt to avoid avoidable down time for heavy landing checks. Readiness everything and cost lives and and aircraft.