Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
Can we assume that it wouldn't be easy to hit a "dump fuel" switch by accident, even in an emergency?
Also, normally with an engine compressor stall malfunction, would they fly around LAX in circles for a while to burn fuel and then, when the aircraft isn't as heavy, land at LAX, presumably with emergency equipment standing by just in case?
My impression is that they couldn't have flown across an ocean without fixing the issue, but it's not a super-critical emergency, just something that needs to be handled as pilots have trained and practiced on the simulators. Is is this roughly an accurate assessment, assuming that the problem is indeed the engine compressor stall and not something more serious?
I would assume so. I posted in another thread this past summer about witnessing a compressor stall on a Mad Dog from the ground at PNS. It was a sight to see and hear on the ground and looked very scary, but as you said they train for this and compressor stalls happen more often than people think. In this case I immediately opened up my LiveATC app, and the pilot had already declared an emergency and immediately returned to the airport. Granted this was a PNS-ATL hop and the plane was probably not chock full of fuel and I don't even know if a Mad Dog can dump fuel. Just what happened in this particular situation.