Pilot Dumps 30 Tons of Fuel to Save Passenger’s Life

A pilot is being heralded as a hero after he dumped 30 tons of fuel Friday night while preparing to make an emergency landing in order to save the life of a passenger onboard.

According to The Straits Times, a China Eastern Airlines flight was traveling from Shanghai to New York City when crew members informed the captain that a female passenger was having trouble breathing.

The 60-year-old passenger was moved by flight attendants from economy to business class to better perform first aid, but she began to fade in and out of consciousness. The unidentified woman was traveling with her daughter at the time of the incident.

As a result of the ordeal, the China Eastern pilot, identified as Gu Jian, decided an emergency landing was necessary to get the passenger more medical attention. In order to land at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska., though, the plane had to dump a substantial amount of fuel to get under the maximum landing weight.

The plane started dumping fuel as the flight descended to the airport, and it made a successful landing at the Alaskan airport. Once safely on the runway, the aircraft was met by medical personnel who rushed the woman to a local hospital.

The flight was refueled at the Anchorage airport and resumed its journey to New York after a six-hour delay. The woman who was rushed to the hospital was released a short time later and continued to NYC the following day.