aeroplane waste

[sano]

daft question but need to clear a debate up, when you use the toiet on an aircraft where is it disposed???

[MustafaTickl]

Over Jacqui Smith at the moment.

[kwicky]

You often hear of chunks of ice (or urinal contents) falling from a plane and which has landed in someones garden. so obviously the wrong place.

[Dassie]

Onboard tanks which are pumped out at airports

[brachiopod]

As Dassie says, the wate is held in a tank on the aircraft, which also contains a disinfectant. This is pumped out at via an outlet valve at suitable intervals when the aircraft is on the ground.

Occasionally, as kwicky says, the outlet leaks while the aircraft is airborne, the mixture of disinfectant and waste freezes upon contact with the cold air at high altitudes, and can build up to form a clump of ice - known as 'blue ice' due to the colour of the disinfectant.

These clumps are known to fall off as the aircraft descends and the ice starts to thaw - and are most frequent along airport approach corridors.

It can't be very pleasant to have a frozen lump of poo crashing through your roof !!

[Llamatron]

Does that really happen?
I'd always thought it was an urban myth.

I guess we learn something everyday.

[SteveD]

Here's an intriguing read:

http://www.asiaspirit.com/lavatory.html