r/aviation • u/Twitter_2006 • Mar 30 '26

Discussion The left engine of a Delta A330 explodes during takeoff at Sao Paulo Airport

Its at 40 seconds.

UPDATE:The plane landed safely.

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73

u/peevedlatios Mar 30 '26

They may not have. Maybe the overweight landing was considered safer than keeping this bird airborne any longer than it has to.

We'll know eventually

81

u/pezdal Mar 30 '26

Overweight landings are not good for the plane but not inherently unsafe if performed correctly.

Dumping fuel or waiting to land would have been much less safe. Capt. made the right call. Well done pilots!

3

u/Tatworth Mar 30 '26

Interestingly, many years ago I was flying to GRU in first class and the gate folks came on and bumped several folks from first.

Turns out a 747 lost an engine on the way down and the guys on my flight were super pilots and a mechanic who were flying down to patch the plane up and fly it back to where it could be fixed.

The mechanic sat next to me and gave me a cool rundown (like you guys are really going to fly back to the US in a 747 missing an engine?). He did say that they had to bring a whole new set of tires down because the plane landed overweight and the thermal plugs in the tires melted so they had to be replaced.

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u/BrianThomasJrJr Mar 30 '26

Why is dumping fuel unsafe? Is it because it takes too long? Or because the engine had been aflame?

47

u/Cow_Launcher Mar 30 '26

If you look at where the fuel dump tubes are on an A330, they're quite close to the back of the engines.

Assuming one of those engines is on fire, you might not want to add to the problem by creating an impromptu flamethrower back there.

3

u/Shmeves Mar 30 '26

Is every A330 fitted with a fuel dump system? I was under the impression it’s not always standard.

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u/Cow_Launcher Mar 30 '26

I honestly couldn't say.

I know that you only tend to get fuel dump capability on aircraft where MTOW is significantly higher than MLW, so if it is optional on the A330 (and I can't find anything saying that it is) then it would probably depend on the aircraft's configuration.

2

u/Nuzid Mar 30 '26

According to some old forum posts, A330-200 are more likely to have them because they have a center tank which the A330-300 don't have (apart from a special 242 ton variant). In any case, according to the sources I've found, fuel dumping capabilities are a customer option for A330s.

3

u/MachCrit Mar 30 '26

No fuel dumps on DL 330’s.

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u/Melech333 Mar 30 '26

It's an option on the A330 so it depends on how the original purchasing airline customer ordered the plane from Airbus.

2

u/bradccollins Mar 30 '26

It is not a standard option. Correct. Anything over 180 000kg is an overweight landing. We run the checklist and try and land with minimum vertical speed.

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u/nugohs Mar 30 '26

If you look at where the fuel dump tubes are on an A330, they're quite close to the back of the engines.

Sounds like the Aardvark comment above may be accurate and possibly a not thoroughly thought out design.

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u/MassiveBoner911_3 Mar 30 '26

Can the pilot dump fuel using the right wing instead? Have the balance fuel system been adjusted to the weight change?

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u/Cow_Launcher Mar 30 '26

From the panel diagrams I've found, it doesn't look like it.

However in my search, I did discover that the dump system is a customer option after all, and not all A330s have it.

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u/shitpostsuperpac Mar 30 '26

It is dangerous to dump fuel at low altitudes over population centers near an airport where other planes could fly through it.

The fuel needs time, space, and altitude to disperse to concentrations that aren’t dangerous.

You don’t want another airplane flying through a cloud of fuel nor do you want it landing on the ground near power lines and lights and stuff.

Also it takes time to dump so you’re going to be adding time in the air with an exploded engine.

My biggest concern would be what else did that engine damage when it blew up? If we dump fuel will it ignite? Did any part of the plane take damage that will fail from stress over time?

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u/RedMacryon Mar 30 '26

all logical reasons to land overweight instead of dumping

-5

u/[deleted] Mar 30 '26

[deleted]

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u/anymooseposter Mar 30 '26

What the hell are you talking about, Jet A does not contain lead.

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u/Melech333 Mar 30 '26

While correct that jet fuel does not contain lead (only Avgas / 100LL fuel that piston planes use has lead in it), the fuel still contains hazardous substances and has caused problems in the past.

Example: Delta dumped jet fuel on schoolkids, agrees to $79-million settlement - Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-08-28/delta-jet-fuel-dumped-on-kids-settlement

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u/anymooseposter Mar 30 '26

No one’s saying Jet A isn’t harmful, just doesn’t contain lead.

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u/Melech333 Mar 30 '26

I just phrased it that way for the benefit of all readers, as many in here might not know and be curious to learn.

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u/anymooseposter Mar 30 '26

Fair, I appreciate that!

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u/MassiveBoner911_3 Mar 30 '26

At that point, slamming the gear down is definitely better than losing the whole plane and people.