The State - News from Nov. 8, 1985

A Pan American Boeing 747 jumbo jet with 192 people aboard was forced to dump its fuel and return to San Francisco International Airport after part of the left wing tore off. The big jet made a normal landing 43 minutes after it took off for Tokyo, said Walt Fuller, a Federal Aviation Administration specialist. There were no injuries. The leading edge slat that broke away from one wing helps lift the plane on takeoff but is not needed in flight, according to authorities. The airline and the FAA were both investigating. Boeing spokesman David Jimenez said that the vibration reported by some passengers is “understandable” in light of the mechanical problem. “We don’t know exactly what caused it or why,” he said.