An Ethiopian Airlines pilot requested permission to dump jet fuel over Lake Michigan on Wednesday afternoon after the aircraft experienced a dual autopilot failure shortly after departing Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
The pilot of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner made the request around 12:20 p.m. CDT, approximately 25 minutes after the flight departed O’Hare at 10:55 a.m. CDT, according to audio recordings. The flight's track log indicated the plane was over Lake Michigan at the time of the fuel dump request.
Flight data showed the aircraft was well above 20,000 feet when the fuel dump occurred. The pilot stated, "We need to fuel dump here." The request was approved a minute later.
The flight, bound for Bole Addis Ababa Airport in Ethiopia, landed safely back at O’Hare at 12:30 p.m. CDT. The journey has since been rescheduled for Thursday.
Commercial aircraft are sometimes required to dump fuel if they are overweight for landing. This process typically occurs above 5,000 to 10,000 feet, allowing the fuel to vaporize before reaching the ground. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted in its 2022 dumping report that pilots may need to release fuel reserves in emergency situations to achieve a safe landing weight, particularly if an aircraft must land before consuming a significant portion of its fuel.
The FAA guidance suggests that fuel dumps should ideally be conducted over remote or oceanic areas, or at altitudes where the jettisoned fuel can atomize. However, the agency also acknowledges that in dire emergencies, pilots have the discretion to deviate from guidelines to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors the environmental impact of fuel dumping events and regulates the procedures for such releases.
A Boeing 787-8 is capable of holding 223,378 pounds of fuel. The exact amount of fuel dumped in this incident has not been specified.
The National Transportation Safety Board, Ethiopian Airlines, the FAA, the Chicago Department of Aviation, and the EPA have been contacted for comment.