Fuel Dumping [Aviation Law] Law and Legal Definition
Fuel dumping (or a fuel jettison) is a procedure used by aircraft in certain emergency situations before a return to the airport shortly after takeoff, or before landing short of its intended destination to lighten aircraft's weight. When there is abnormal, non-routine flight, landing weight can be an issue. If a flight takes off at the maximum structural takeoff weight and then faces a situation where it must return to the departure airport (due to certain mechanical problems, or a passenger medical issue), there will not be time to consume the fuel meant for getting to the original destination, and the aircraft may be over the maximum structural landing weight to land back at the departure point.
