[Noob question] Saw a plane dumping fuel as it was landing. Why?

28srf0c

Was very close to Cork airport and saw a plane dumping fuel as it was coming in to land. Is this normal? Why did they do that? Thanks

[Noob over and out]

NIMAN

Are you sure it was fuel?

L1011

Few planes that fly to Cork are even capable of dumping fuel

vicwatson

Airline??

NIMAN

I'm no expert on planes, but surely they would only dump fuel if they were likely to be making an emergency landing.

Or perhaps it was the toilet contents?

Strumms

My guess is that you didn't observe an aircraft dumping fuel but instead a phenomenan known as wingtip vortices. An aircraft wouldnt be dumping fuel on approach if it needed to it would be doing so usually out over the ocean at reasonably high altitude. I'm on the phone at the min but go and search for wingtip vortices on YouTube and you will see a host of vids on this and might be close to what you witnessed

SEPT 23 1989

Possibly chemtrails hard to know without seeing it

28srf0c

It was coming from the centre of the wing. Thats why i thought it was fuel. Ryanair. Saw it in Wilton shipping centre car park so for any of you Cork folks you know the planes basically clip the ro top of your head around those parts so I could see it quite well.

Strumms

28srf0c wrote: »

It was coming from the centre of the wing. Thats why i thought it was fuel. Ryanair. Saw it in Wilton shipping centre car park so for any of you Cork folks you know the planes basically clip the ro top of your head around those parts so I could see it quite well.

That aircraft type does not have the ability to dump fuel. Could have been some kind of leak maybe fuel or hydraulics I suppose but most likely a vortex effect.

Cessna_Pilot

Wingtip vortices guaranteed.

Only other viable option is chemtrails.

Shannon757

Defiantly chemtrails

pepe the prawn

Shannon757 wrote: »

Defiantly chemtrails

Good god man don't let out the secret!

spurious

NIMAN wrote: »

I'm no expert on planes, but surely they would only dump fuel if they were likely to be making an emergency landing.

Or perhaps it was the toilet contents?

Yikes. Does that happen over land?

L1011

spurious wrote: »

Yikes. Does that happen over land?

It doesn't happen unless there's a leak or someone didn't close the port properly. Commercial aircraft have retention tanks.

Very small private or military aircraft can be a different story.

gumbo1

Strumms wrote: »

My guess is that you didn't observe an aircraft dumping fuel but instead a phenomenan known as wingtip vortices. An aircraft wouldnt be dumping fuel on approach if it needed to it would be doing so usually out over the ocean at reasonably high altitude. I'm on the phone at the min but go and search for wingtip vortices on YouTube and you will see a host of vids on this and might be close to what you witnessed

I se that a lot around DUB, usually from ryanair ac not so much from any others. If your under the approach when it happens the sound off them is pretty cool and you can see them swirling!

bkehoe

28srf0c wrote: »

It was coming from the centre of the wing. .

Vortices off the outer trailing edge of the flaps.


Toilet waste isn't dumped overboard but waste water from the sinks is disposed of through heated drain masts (to stop the water freezing and blocking the outlet).

martinsvi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW4PmUE151c

these things happen when relative humidity is close to 100% and dew point temperature close to the actual temperature. The area over the wing is a low pressure area and when a parcel of moist air enters it, it looses pressure rapidly therefore releasing some latent heat - in a result, the outside temperature over the wing matches that of a dew point and the air becomes over-saturated and moisture becomes visible. This would only happen on humid/damp days much like today

Shannon757

_Tombstone_

spurious wrote: »

Yikes. Does that happen over land?

yup, the Tanks leak. They know they leak and if you get hit, tough sh1t.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35255102

Shannon757

_Tombstone_ wrote: »

tough sh1t.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35255102

Literally

Tenger

spurious wrote: »

Yikes. Does that happen over land?

No. And Toilets aren't "dumped"

Tenger

Question answered. Wingtip vortices.
Thread closed