Explainer: Do Planes Ever Dump Waste While In Flight?

A Long Island couple claims they were recently pelted with blackish-green liquid waste from the bathroom of an airplane passing overhead. Do airplanes ever dump their waste while in flight?

Not intentionally. Airliner toilets use either a "closed waste system," which works much like ahouse toilet and flushes wastewater into an onboard sewage tank or the more modern "vacuum waste system," which sucks wastewater into the tank. The latter capitalizes on the air pressure difference outside the airplane versus inside the cabin, and produces a roaring vacuum whenever a passenger flushes. But it doesn't actually send the goods into the atmosphere. The ground crew usually disposes of the sewage after the plane lands through a valve on the outside of the aircraft. .

Waste can seep out of the tanks in a malfunctioning aircraft if a leak develops. This usually results in what's commonly referred to as "blue ice"—which is what you get when the blue waste treatment liquid from a plane toilet is exposed to freezing temperatures at high altitude.

Blue ice typically gathers and stays on the outside of the aircraft, but sometimes breaks off before landing. It has been known to damage aircraft, in one case even knocking an engine off the wing. When blue ice does come loose, it often melts and evaporates before reaching the ground—but not always. One Leicester, England couple was reportedly "enjoying a spot of good weather" in their garden when some blue ice hit the roof of their house, broke apart, and landed on their heads. The husband said the ice gave off "a particularly pungent whiff of urine." . Blue urine-smelling chunks falling from the sky; that is probably the worst Chicken Little story ever told.

[BMarie]

I swear when I was a kid I have this vivid memory of watching a plane fly over while in a field with friends and then all the sudden this large, fast movement woosh of icy water smashed in to the ground a few feet away from us. I could be wrong. I could be remembering something different. But I have a vivid memory of this plane dumping shit out and for so many years I was afraid to flush the toilet on planes because I was like "what if I flush at the wrong moment and it kills someone?" Finally I spoke up and my mom was like "no, that doesn't happen. It goes to a tank and the tank is emptied at the airport".

[YouthfulElf]

That's a relief! My neighborhood is under a busy skyway and I sure don't relish the idea of picking up all the dookies and toilet paper streamers that would come raining down on us! :-)

[arcadium]

Wow, a bit of ice "knocked an engine off a wing"?  Is there an NTSB report that validates that statement?  When they say "knocked an engine off", I'm fairly certain this is in reference to some damage occurring to the engine resulting in the crew shutting down the engine as a precaution. 6 gallons of frozen blue juice doesn't cause an engine to fall from a wing.  If there is an aircraft out there where some frozen crap can cause the engine to fall off, then the FAA need to revoke it's airworthiness certificate.

[alwaysbewhoyouare]

But they do dump their fuel in the air in certain circumstances.

[LJ]

trust me its stays on the plane. i always take it out of the aircraft when it lands at the gate

[rich]

I saw a news report about one hitting a car, the roof was touching the floor pan. That would definitely kill you.

[countrymusic]

Funny enough this was recommended when I was watching Joe Dirt.

[Barzins]

What about in emergency? Can they dump?

[oceras]

Leicester. Pronounced 'lester', not 'lie cester'.

[KlineeLepardo]

Actually, Those people i guess, meant that they dumped fuel. Yes, an aircraft dumps a fuel sometimes but it evaporates to the air.

[davidthayer]

Military plane flew over my houseat treetop level, the next day my gutters were filled with light brown sewage. when you have a low flying plane check your gutters

[contentlocked]

This usually results in what's commonly referred to as, a lawsuit. Which is what you get when a multi billion dollar company drops human waste on you.

[dumitrulangham]

Well even planes got to the bathroom 😅😅😅😅😅😉😅lol🤪

[ARch]

Bullshit. I see plane over head dump gray water dump which spilled over the street in the middle of downtown city. It covered a parked car and got some on me which smell like shit. made me sick as well must of got in my mouth.

[FishAndKid]

@StephensStuff yep can crush your skull