The pilots flew the aircraft, which can carry up to of aviation fuel, in a figure eight pattern between Bob Hope Airport in Burbank and LAX for more than two hours in order to burn fuel and lower the risk of fire upon landing. This also served to lighten the plane, reducing potential stress on the landing gear and dramatically lowering landing speed as well. The Airbus A320 does not have the mechanical ability to dump fuel, despite various news agencies reporting that the aircraft was doing so over the ocean.
