Fuel dumping in case of fire

[dkatwa]

Hi all..just watch Nat Geo about planes on fire, having to circle while dumping fuel, before landing...and not making :-(

Can a plane dump fuel on the way to the airport, without having to circle out at sea perhaps, thereby saving time?

What are the effects of dumping fuel over a city? I thought it evaporated but I could be mistaken

thanks

[Johnny F@rt Pants]

Some aeroplanes can't dump fuel anyway, so if there's a fire you just land overweight.

For those that tried to delay their landing whilst dumping fuel, or diverting somewhere other than the very nearest place, it didn't end well, there's a moral to that story.

If you are on fire, LAND NOW!! If I could dump fuel then maybe I would, but I wouldn't be overly worried where it ended up as long as I ended up safe and sound.

[Mad (Flt) Scientist]

The very first words in the smoke/fire/fumes procedure I have to hand (and I think they are all similar in intent) is:

WARNING.
Time is critical during smoke/fire/fumes emergencies.

If that's not enough to get your attention, later on (in the event of the situation being "uncontrolled" i.e. you can't get the fire out by various means)
... the crew should expedite the landing. The crew should also consider an overweight landing, tailwind landing, ditching or a forced off-airport landing

With considerations like that, worrying about dumping fuel, or where you are dumping it, are very much secondary. What I've quoted is pretty much the AFM-speak version of JFP's LAND NOW.

[dkatwa]

Thanks guys....what happens to the fuel dumped? Does it evaporate, does it make it more dangerous for following planes?

[RAT 5]

Thanks guys....what happens to the fuel dumped? Does it evaporate, does it make it more dangerous for following planes?

I remember a James Bond film where he escaped certain pulverising by turning a hair spray + cigarette lighter into a flame thrower. To answer your question find the clip. With Jet A1 it should be impressive. Guys on the ground will think we've just been struck by an unidentified comet. The UFO brigade would go bonkers; and the ancient alien theorists would treat it as a second coming.

[dkatwa]

Live and Let Die...I remember that....maybe the following planes can benefit from the free fuel and power down :O

[Lou Scannon]

I can claim some experience of dumping (fuel that is) having dumped on Hastings, C130's, and DC10's.

The general advice used to be don't dump near Cb's, don't dump in an orbit,,especially a descending orbit and try to do it above 6,000feet. Also, don't do it if you have an engine on fire (obvious) and avoid power changes.

I also had the experience of being dumped on when a local Thorney SAR chopper scambled to an overturned Hovercraft off Portsmouth. It passed directly over me at under a 1,000 feet with the stuff sewing out. All I and my garden on Hayling Island got was a strong smell of kerosine.

[Double Hydco]

I too have dumped fuel (only once, in a Belfast).

It was done at 6000' to 8000' along way from the seaside, over BKY VOR.....

[kaitakbowler]

Was there a minimum airspeed to be maintained when dumping avgas? ISTR a Shackleton AEW returning to Cyprus (Paphos) when it lost 2 engines on a flight back to uk, I met the very shaken crew at the sailing club bar and my memory is dimmed by time and Carlsberg. I know they had to go to LCPH and they were at ditching stations as AKR was too far for them.

PM

[rigpiggy]

swissair 111 would have "most likely" made it except for the capts insistence on dumping fuel. Best thing to come out of it was the change to land the gd airplane now.

[kenparry]

swissair 111 would have "most likely" made it except for the capts insistence on dumping fuel.

Why do you think that? Your assertion is not supported by the Canadian TSB report, which at page 247 of over 300 states:

Based on these factors, it is evident that even if the pilots had attempted a minimum-time emergency diversion starting at 0114:18, it would have been impossible for the pilots to continue maintaining control of the aircraft for the amount of time necessary to reach the airport and complete a safe landing.