South Korea based Asiana Airlines could receive a fine from the state of Washington’s ecology department because of the troubled Asiana Boeing 777′s dumping of fuel. Apparently, the aircraft dumped fuel over Puget Sound to lighten the aircraft’s load in preparation for making an emergency landing into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The 777 landed safely, and all 192 passengers were OK. The aircraft had engine troubles, and a spokesperson for Seattle-Tacoma Airport, Terri-Ann Betancourt, said that it’s believed that a compressor stall caused the engine problem.
The Department spokesman, Curt Hart, said that some of the jet fuel dumped last week hit the water. Usually, jet fuel evaporates in air, and does not make “contact” with the surface. There have not been many details released, but I think it’s fair to guess that the 777 was flying at a low altitude.
Remember, there are differences in takeoff weights and landing weights. From Wikipedia:
Aircraft have two major types of weight limits: the maximum takeoff weight and the maximum structural landing weight, with the maximum structural landing weight always being the lower of the two. This allows an aircraft on a normal, routine flight to take off at the higher weight, consume fuel en route, and arrive at a lower weight. (There are other variables involving takeoff and landing weights, but they are omitted from this discussion for the sake of simplicity.)
It does bring into question whether Asiana should be punished or not for this incident. Clearly, the fuel dumping step was taken because of the emergency. I’m not very keen on the exact rules for fuel dumping – I’m only a single-engine propeller student pilot (we don’t have fuel dumping). Yet I’m sure the ecology department is considering the situation.
Feel free to comment or enlighten me a bit more about fuel dumping. I always appreciate the many different sides / aspects of stories that everyone submits.
Washington state says that they won’t fine Asiana.
This is was a poor idea from the start, when human lives are on the line a few regulations should be allowed to be broke.
Pilots in an emergency situation do not need to be thinking about breaking regulations and fines, their one and only priority is to save lives and land the plane.
I WAS ON THAT PLANE THERE WAS A BANG AND NOISES FROM THAT ENGINE. IT IS VERY GOOD THAT WE GOT BACK ON THE GROUND SAFELY
Hi David,
Thanks for sharing that. I’m glad that you made it back to SEA safely. I think many of us can agree that the idea of fining a distressed aircraft is wrong. Thank you for visiting!