BRIEF: Fuel spills after plane lands at MIA

Oct. 19--More than 300 gallons of fuel spilled from an American Airlines 767 commercial jet shortly after it landed at Miami International Airport Friday morning.

The 220 passengers who had flown in from Sao Paulo, Brazil, had already filed out when mechanics discovered a problem with the aircraft's fuel pump, said Tim Smith, spokesman for American Airlines.

"Mechanics were working to try to fix that when the fuel spill occurred," Smith said.

Miami-Dade's Department of Environmental Resources inspectors reponded at 10:30 a.m and said about 20 gallons spilled into a storm drain basin that traps wastewater and fuel.

It was pumped out before it mixed in with the water pipes, said Luis Espinosa, DERM spokesman.

Smith said the plane, which was parked at Concourse E gate 11, had no other scheduled flights.

"It's extremely rare, but not unprecedented," Smith said of the frequency of fuel spills.

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