80 tons of kerosene dumped over the Palatinate – SWR Aktuell

The recordings of “flightradar24”, a website for the collection of flight data, can be seen how the machine starts its flight to Wuhan, China on Monday in Liège. Shortly before crossing the Alps, however, the pilot of the Belgian Challenge Airlines turns around and flies back towards Liège.

Belgian plane turns several circles over the Palatinate Forest

On the way you can see how the Boeing 747 flies several loops over the Palatinate and Saarland. The citizens’ initiative against aircraft noise, ground noise and environmental pollution from Kaiserslautern then expressed the suspicion that the machine had drained fuel.

Federal Aviation Authority confirms release of kerosene

The Federal Aviation Authority (LBA) has now confirmed this suspicion. On the list of cases of fuel dumping in German airspace, the authority lists a fuel dump over southern Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland on March 2nd. Around 80 tons of kerosene were released at an altitude of around six kilometers. The largest amount in Germany for more than three and a half years.

Cargo plane probably had technical problems

The LBA cites technical problems as the reason for fuel dumping. Large aircraft sometimes have to dump kerosene if they have to land again shortly after take-off due to technical problems, for example. Otherwise, the fully tanked machines are too heavy to bring them safely back to the ground.

According to scientists, kerosene discharge is unproblematic

There has been criticism of the fuel dump over the Palatinate Forest for years. Conservationists fear permanent damage to fauna and flora. However, scientists believe that only a small portion of the kerosene actually makes it to the ground.