This Delta flight returned to LAX shortly after takeoff but not before making an emergency fuel dump…right over the heads of children playing in this Los Angeles elementary school.
Delta Airlines has a potential s***storm of a class action lawsuit coming their way after one of their giant 777 jets inadvertently dumped jet fuel over an elementary school in the Los Angeles area. According to AJC.com, Delta Flight 89 experienced an engine failure which meant a quick return to Los Angeles International Airport and an emergency fuel dump to get the jet under the required landing weight. It just so happens that they dumped jet fuel right on top of an elementary school, too.
Check out this series of tweets confirming this unfortunate accident.
↩️ DIVERSION RETURN
— Tom Podolec Aviation (@TomPodolec) January 14, 2020
Delta #DL89 to Shanghai returning to Los Angeles shortly after departure. Unknown emergency. https://t.co/4PPiHD1Ek2 pic.twitter.com/vyU91gH7l9
MCI | FS163 | 8000 Park Ave #Cudahy | BN 13 and 3 units on-scene elementary school assessing multiple patients after apparent fuel dump by aircraft on final approach to LAX hits playground.
— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) January 14, 2020
Caught this in Bell Gardens over my house NEWS SAID IT DROPPED FUEL OVER AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN CUDAHY @KTLA @FOXLA @cnnbrk @UniNoticias @NBCLA @ABC7 @ABC @NBCNews @TelemundoNews pic.twitter.com/VG3HBpyYtn
— Sujey Hernandez (@SujeyHernandez) January 14, 2020
The school immediately affected is Park Avenue Elementary School in the 8000 block of Park Ave in Cudahy, California. Here’s a screenshot of the school on Google Maps.
The school is 20 miles east of LAX.
Fuel dumps, as mentioned, are necessary to get the landing planes below a certain weight. According to one Redditor,
“Planes only dump fuel in the most severe of emergencies when they need to land as quickly as possibly and need to get below their maximum landing weight or mitigate fire risk. They NEVER do it for any other reason. And no, it’s not safe for the environment.“
Jet Fuel or Jet A aviation fuel is a liquid with six hazards to the human body according to its MSDS sheet. Jet Fuel is flammable, can be fatal to the human body if swallowed, can cause a skin irritation, can cause drowsiness or dizziness, is suspected of causing cancer with repeated exposure and can cause organ damage also through repeated exposure.
Based on its own MSDS sheet, it’s safe to assume that a dousing of jet fuel won’t be dangerous to these kids and a quick shower might be all that those kids need.
This incident could’ve been much worse, jet fuel might could’ve tainted a local water supply, might’ve landed on an ignition source, and etc.
Hopefully, nothing more will come of this situation other than cases of minor skin irritation.
No one expects their kids to get exposed to a literal shower of jet fuel while at school and I hope Delta compensates those parents either through legal means or otherwise.
Well sorry but WTF were they supposed to do???