FlightRadar

[BresciaBike]

Anyone watching RK4333 TFS to MAN? It took off nearly 2 hr ago and has done some loops around Tenerife. Still there now. Airport doesn't look busy so is it just trying to burn fuel before landing? Presumably mechanical issue hence not continuing to Manchester.

Off to have a look 👀

Hmmm landing again?

Is it taking off ?

It's landed now. I just wonder why it spent two hours in the sky doing circuits. Don't think it would have taken two hours to get a landing slot at this time of night.

Sorry just read it's diverting to airport

Two hours is a very long time to circle.

Probably burning fuel, 737’s can’t jettison

Is that the Ryan Air one? So it’s taken off, circled and then landed again at the same airport, have I got that correct?

I wonder if you can be too heavy to land at all or if it's only that you can be above a preferable weight. Where are our plane nerds. I'm sure there is someone on MN who is or was an ATC!

My logical brain tells me that if you are too heavy to land full stop then you shouldn't be allowed to take off in case of an emergency that necessitates an immediate landing. But am I right 😛

You have indeed!

So there was possibly some kind of issue with the plane, and they have to burn off as much fuel as possible in the event that the landing isn't 'smooth' (in other words it all going tits up and ending up in a ball of fuel flames'

And as @Worldshutyourmouth said, this plane can't dump fuel (some can I believe and will do so in the sea before attempting to land)

They cannot land if they have over a certain amount of fuel. They can’t always dump fuel in some areas either but it could be because there was a technical issue either on board or on the ground

Really wouldn’t want to be in that flight, hopefully everyone is ok, it’s bad enough having to circle Leeds airport for a tight landing, but seriously must have been a worry.

Love that website though, it always amazes me when I see how many planes are up at any one time.

Yes but because it is physically near impossible, because of regulations or because of guidance? I'm curious. (If it helps my ND brain often wonders about daft questions.)

Most commercial aircraft cannot 'dump' fuel. They will always have to circle to burn fuel. The plane in question - Boeing 737 cannot 'dump' fuel, it doesn't have the functionality.

The weight of the fuel in the plane for a trip back to Manchester would mean the plane would be too heavy to immediately return and land at Tenerife which is why it would circle.

There may be an issue like not being able to retract the landing gear so sometimes planes might circle whilst pilots try to troubleshoot the problem then have to land if they cannot resolve the issue.
That happened to a flight I was on about 10 years ago. We landed safely after circling for some time and all got off the plane whilst they sorted the issue. We then re-boarded several hours later and the plane got us home without issue.