A US NAVAL aircraft currently based at RAF Leeming stunned onlookers yesterday (Sunday, Oct 12) when it appeared to dump fuel in the air before flying back towards the North Yorkshire aerodrome.

Eagle-eyed witnesses said the P3-Orion aircraft started circling above Sainsbury’s supermarket at the north side of Northallerton at about 3pm on Sunday, before offloading fuel and heading back towards RAF Leeming.

A spokesman from RAF Leeming confirmed the P3-Orion experienced technical difficulties but that the amount of fuel dropped was within Civil Aviation Authority guidelines for a safe deposit.

He said: “There are currently both US and Canadian aircrafts operating from RAF Leeming.

“A P3-Orion was out at 3,000 metres about Northallerton on Sunday and it did experience technical difficulties and it had to turn back to the station as soon as possible.

“First it did laps to burn fuel, and then it did jettison a small amount of fuel – less than 1,000 litres."

RAF Leeming did not have any details about the technical fault with the P3-Orion.

The station did not have to notify North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue or any other authority about the jettisoned fuel because it was deemed to be a small amount.

The spokesman added: "The visiting United States Navy P3-Orion aircraft jettisoned a small amount of fuel in order to reduce the weight of the aircraft to enable the aircraft to land as quickly as possible; this was carried out in accordance with current Civil Aviation Authority procedures.”