Incident in Belgium: plane spills kerosene over eight municipalities before emergency landing

A Challenge Airlines Boeing 747 cargo plane evacuated approximately 100 tons of kerosene over eight municipalities in Liège, Belgium, on Friday, before making an emergency landing after the crew discovered a malfunction in the landing gear. The incident occurred shortly after takeoff from Liège airport, bound for New York, and the fuel release maneuvers lasted nearly an hour while the plane circled above the western part of the city.

The strong smell of kerosene alerted locals, and authorities later confirmed that the procedure was necessary to reduce the weight of the aircraft and ensure a safe landing. Subsequently, the plane landed without incident; however, specialists emphasized that such operations should generally be conducted at high altitudes and over uninhabited areas.