An interesting new video shot from inside a plane shows what happens when an aircraft is forced to “dump fuel” in order to make a safe emergency landing.
The clip, filmed by passenger David Coldwell as his plane returned to Houston Airport, shows a huge jettison of fuel being released from a valve underneath the wing, part of a standard procedure for an emergency landing in order to reduce the weight of the plane.
In this situation, the plane is forced to burn off fuel by circling or, in more serious circumstances, release the fuel directly into the air, usually while travelling over water.
Fuel dumping operations are coordinated with air traffic control, and usually accomplished at a high enough altitude so that the fuel will completely dissipate before reaching the ground.
And this video shows how easy the process is, not to mention how little an emergency landing seems to phase passengers nowadays.
Just check out the elderly guy casually drinking from his water bottle and listening to music as the fuel dumping goes on behind him!
