Fuel dumping today - DTW

[nwafan20]

Hey guys,

So, I was out playing tennis in gym class today, and I hear a jet that sounded rather low, so I look up. It was a heavy dumping fuel. It was pretty interesting to watch too. I couldn't find any information about an emergency landing, but it was defiantly dumping.

[ATAIndy]

Why was it dumping at such a low altitude? I thought they couldn't do it unless they were at high altitude or over water. Dumping fuel when a plane is low and over populated land sounds very dangerous, both in an environmental and legal aspect. Hope nothing bad comes out of this.

[nwafan20]

Eh, it wasn't super-low, just lower than normal.

If I am correct, if done right, dumping fuel evaporates right?

The only other dumping fuel situation I have seen is when an NW 744 had to dump it, fast. He was low over our county and flew right over my house, dumping a lot of fuel.

[stuart schechter]

Did you get covered?

[T-Bird76]

Its not a big deal....Here's an Atlas 747 that vented some fuel 1000 feet over Howard Beach.

http://web2.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5886570&nseq=63

[hiss srq]

It happens all the time. Venting etc..... Westwinds are notorious for venting fuel randomly. I remeber as a kid though that an AA DC-10 had a major emergency once after departure from JFK and made a sharp turn around and began dumping fuel. My parents cars were covered in a film from the fuel.

[nwafan20]

It wasn't venting, it was a full blown dump. Pretty cool sight.

[ATAIndy]

Hmm, I always thought that they couldn't do that, however I have now learned otherwise. But still having your car coated in fuel doesn't sound like fun.

[DHG750R]

I saw a NW 727 loose an engine one hot summer afternoon at LGA many years ago right after liftoff from runway 4 ( the runway at which you will be at your heaviest on takeoff ) The fuel dump began immediately while the aircraft climbed no higher than 2000' and the crew began a slow turn and passed right over the neighborhood ...

[Derf]

If you loose an engine on takeoff, and you are heavy...there could be
danger of a crash....YOU DUMP, Period!

In AZ a few years back the cargo door was not secured properly and on
rotation a few bags went into the engine. I remember seeing this mother
at a very high AOA with engines 1&2 running overtime as it was not
gaining ANY altitude dumping as quickly as possible. There was a lot of
fuel coating areas all around the valley. People was very mad and a few
came to me at work for answers. I told them that if my ass was in any
kind of danger, I would not give a ratts ass about you smelling like jet
fuel for a few days... I was pretty upset that these people were so mad.

If there was no danger, the pilot would not have dumped over a
residental area. If it was an engine out, the pilot would have chosen a
better area to dump. If he was dumping over a suburb, city of developed
area of any kind....somthin was up that made the pilot do it!

I did find some shots of this online as I did not have a camera, it was a
Charter for the Insight Bowl...I think

http://www.aviationpics.de/inflight/727fueldump1.jpg

http://www.aviationpics.de/inflight/727fueldump2.jpg

[Derf]

found some more info on this...was not the Insight Bowl...sorry

"The aircraft is a Miami Air 727 that took off from PHX 1/5/99 on a charter flight
to Nashville full of Tennessee fans from the 1999 Fiesta Bowl.
Anyway, the luggage door came open just after takeoff and they immediately turned around for an emergency landing at PHX.
As you can see from the high angle of attack the aircraft was not very high and was "Struggling" to make it back to the airport."

[Derf]

Its not a big deal....Here's an Atlas 747 that vented some fuel 1000 feet over Howard Beach.

http://web2.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5886570&nseq=63

Tommy, this shot the pilot is venting fuel as you said, not dumping. That is a entirely other type of getting yourself wet! When you see a dump, you almost take a dump! It is quite the sight!