Imagine you’re out there enjoying a clear blue sky when suddenly you notice an airplane flying high above you, leaving what appears to be a trail of smoke. But upon closer inspection, you realize that it’s not smoke at all but fuel being dumped by the aircraft.
I know that the chances of catching this scene are scarce, but that doesn’t translate to impossibility. Actually, that’s exactly what happened in the Los Angeles fuel dumping incident on 14th January.
In this widely-reported incidence, Delta Air Lines Flight 89, a Boeing 777-232ER with 181 passengers and crew on board. The plane had taken off for Shanghai, China, only for the compressor in the right engine to stall a few minutes after departure.
The pilot was forced was forced to go back to LAX, but that meant he had to reduce the jet fuel to guarantee safe landing, which was the case. But the dumping raised concerns about the environmental impact of fuel dumping and its potential risks.
That gives rise to our today’s main question — is fuel dumping bad for the environment?
While fuel dumping is necessary for the safety of passengers and crew onboard an aircraft, as well as the craft itself, it does, to some extent, have negative consequences on the environment. Jet fuel is a form of fossil fuel, and so it contains dangerous compounds that can have far-reaching impact on the atmosphere, soil, and water.
In this article, we will be exploring some of the reasons airplanes fuel-dump, how often it occurs, its impact on the environment, and so much more. Let’s dig right into it.
Why Do Planes Dump Fuel?
Fuel dumping, sometimes known as fuel jettisoning in the aerospace industry, is used as a weight-reduction strategy for airplanes to ensure safety in landing.
You see, for an aircraft to without compromising the integrity of it’s structure and the safety of it’s occupants, it must not exceed some amount of weight.
That’s why before takeoff, airlines calculate the amount of fuel required for a flight to reach its destination. This is done to ensure that upon landing, the aircraft will have burned enough fuel to bring it to a safe landing weight.
However, sometimes unforeseen circumstances can occur during a flight that may require an emergency landing or returning to the airport soon after takeoff. In such situations, the aircraft needs to reduce its weight in order to land safely.
Usually, there are two ways to go about this. The pilot has to linger over an ocean to hold and burn fuel, or spray the fuel through the wings until the aircraft attains the maximum weight that guarantees safe landing.
In some cases, especially where quick response is needed, lingering in the air isn’t the ideal option. This is where fuel dumping comes into play — it allows planes to lower their weight and reach a safe landing weight before touching down.
Usually, the fuel-dumping plane disposes of fuel targeting to achieve the maximum safe landing weight (MLW), which is often less than the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of the aircraft.
By jettisoning fuel, the aircraft cuts down its weight, making it safer for landing. Safe landing weight helps prevent hard landings, which can cause structural damage to the plane and endanger the lives of those onboard.
How Often Do Planes Dump Fuel?
Although we may hear about fuel dumping incidents in the news, it is actually a rare occurrence. And actually this doesn’t happen with any flight, as the feature is only available on some aircraft and is primarily used when it’s the only measure necessary.
This means that planes do not regularly dump fuel during their flights and only do so when necessary for safety purposes.
Usually, the fuel that an airplane needs to fly to the next landing point is calculated and it is then filled respectively to ensure that by the time it arrives at the destination, the fuel level is within the safe landing weight range.
Therefore, fuel dumping isn’t something you’ll get to hear about frequently. But when it happens, the reason behind it is usually a serious concern regarding the safety of the aircraft and its passengers.
And just so you know how rare this occurs, the FAA has officially recorded 45 fuel dump cases in the United States between the years 2018 and 2020. If you do some basic maths, that will translate to an average of 15 incidents per year.
And get this: that’s out of more than 16 million flights annually, although there could be some cases not reported. But based on what the FAA has noted down, we expect a single incidence of fuel dumping after every 355,556 flights, which is a very rare occurrence.
What Happens to the Dumped Fuel?
When an aircraft dumps fuel, it usually vaporizes rapidly and often does not reach the ground. This means that it has a minimal chance of causing harm to soil and water as compared to other forms of pollution caused by fossil fuels.
However, there are still some negative consequences of fuel dumping. For one, the vaporized fuel can contribute to air pollution and harm the atmosphere. That’s because aviation fuels comprise hydrocarbon compounds, which are known to contribute to smog formation and greenhouse effect.
That’s when the dumped fuel doesn’t reach the ground. In some rare cases where the fuel reaches the ground, it can contaminate the soil and water, posing a threat to wildlife and aquatic life. That’s why pilots are trained to avoid dumping fuel over populated areas or bodies of water.
Once jet fuel falls on the ground, it contaminates whatever it falls into. A research study done found out that kerosene contamination of water supplies can adversely affect water plants.
According to the research, kerosene contamination results in chlorosis in plants, a condition that is characterized by the yellowing of leaves due to lack of chlorophyll. When chlorophyll dies, it means the affected plants can’t absorb the light they need to sustain photosynthesis, eventually leading to the plants’ death.
Sometimes, the fuel dumped may even cause accidents, like what we witnessed when the Delta flight dumped fuel over a school playground in Los Angeles. In this case, at least 60 people, many of them being children, were treated for skin irritation, breathing problems, and other minor injuries caused by the fuel.
In addition, the act of dumping fuel may cause a financial burden to the airline company as they have to compensate for any damage caused by the fuel, as well as handle any associated legal fees. All these effects justify why airlines always prefer to avoid fuel dumping unless it is absolutely necessary.
Does Fuel Dumping Cause Pollution?
In comparison to other sources of pollution, fuel dumping does have an impact on the environment. Although it is a rare occurrence and not a significant contributor to air pollution, it still releases harmful chemicals into the atmosphere.
Jet fuel contains compounds like carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides. All of these, together with the additives added into the fuel contribute to air pollution, and may even contriute to climate change in the long term. These pollutants can also harm wildlife and vegetation if they reach the ground.
Moreover, burning jet fuel produces greenhouse gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Therefore, even though the amount of fuel dumped may be small in proportion to overall emissions from flights, it still has some negative implications for our environment.
The sad part is that the effects it causes in the atmosphere may last for years, even after the fuel dumping incidence is long-forgotten. That’s to say that fuel dumping can contribute to long-term environmental damage, which is why it is important for the aviation industry to find alternative solutions to this issue.
Conclusion
While fuel dumping is necessary in emergency situations for the safety of those onboard and prevent potential accidents, it does have negative impacts on the environment. It contributes to air pollution and climate change, and in rare cases, it may contaminate soil and water.
However, it is a rare occurrence and not a significant contributor to overall pollution from the aviation industry. Nevertheless, finding alternatives to fuel dumping should be a priority for airlines in order to minimize its impact on the environment.
With advancements in technology and renewable energy sources, hopefully, one day, we can eliminate the need for fuel dumping altogether and make air travel even safer and more sustainable.
So, it is important for the aviation industry to continuously work towards finding solutions that prioritize both safety and environmental impact. Together, we can make air travel a greener and more sustainable form of transportation.
