DL3/B767 return to LHR
 

Does anybody have any detail on this, I received a 7700 from PF around 18.00 tonight, it was back on the ground very sharpish after DEP, if it had to dump fuel he certainly didn't hang around doing so.

Seventeen-year-old B763, may well not have had a fuel dunp capability.

Dave, I think fuel dump on the 767 became basic around 1988-1989. However going Heathrow/JFK, they wouldn't have had anywhere near a full fuel load - dumping probably wasn't needed to get down to max landing weight.

I think Delta's B-763's had fuel dump from the factory in that era. Some 767 operators, like Air Canada, disabled fuel dump to cut maintenance costs.

Guidance on whether to dump fuel or land overweight has gone back and forth over the years.

In recent years fuel dumping is discouraged for 'environmental reasons'. Probably like caviar was eliminated from first class to 'save the sturgeon'. ;)

Much of the boilerplate guidance in U.S. company ops manuals seems to come from manufacturers' articles like this one from Mr. Boeing:

AERO - Overweight Landing? Fuel Jettison? What To Consider

Crossing the pond westbound with a quick trip to 8000 feet and back to LHR I would be surprised if they were under max landing weight which is about 80,000 lbs. less than max takeoff weight in a B-763 as I recall. I would expect a fairly full load on that route this time of year.

And the fault that necessitated the hasty return to Heathrow was?

Max landing weight is in the 310,000 lbs range, and max TO weight is 410,000 lbs (+/-), depending upon operators specs.

Takeoff weight for LHR to the U.S. is probably 340,000 - 360,000 lbs.

They'd be over weight for landing but it's no big deal. The event requiring the return
would take more time to correct than the time required for an over weight landing.