Environmental rules 'could cause plane crashes' - Telegraph

Environmental rules demanding planes burn less fuel could cause a devastating plane crash by allowing vital fuel pipes to freeze up, an aviation expert has warned.

David Reynolds, head of safety at the pilots' union Balpa, has called on regulators to "revisit" some of the requirements aimed at cutting CO2 emissions after it was disclosed that a crash landing at Heathrow earlier this year was caused by ice freezing up supply lines to the plane's engines.

"These rules need to be looked at again. Fuel flow is an import factor in the safe running of an aircraft engine."

"With reduced burn, that means that less fuel is circulating, which makes it easier for water to separate and turn into ice.

"In this case this was combined with very low temperatures and perhaps fuel which may have had a bit more water than usual - even though it complied with international standards.